Why it’s better to just do it…
If you think too hard about your performance in anything - giving a speech, swimming in a competition, learning to drive - why does it sometimes all go completely wrong?
Ali Roff Farrar
Ever concentrate so much that you choke on what you're trying to do?
It’s a prime example of the brain working against us, say researchers.
In a study called The self: your own worst enemy? published in January, researchers found that not only focusing on the thing that our body is actually doing, but also any kind of self-focus (including memories of the past), have the power to harm our performance and our ability to learn new skills.
Try focusing externally, just on the task at hand, to stop self-reflection ruining your chances.
Photograph: iStock
