Previous article "What is "metacognition" for? ”, we discussed what is metacognition? What's the use? Metacognition is our own observation, adjustment, and feedback. It is as if there is an elf in our hearts, paying attention to our words, deeds, and thoughts at any time and providing timely feedback. As "cognition about cognition", metacognition is considered to be the core of cognitive activities and plays an important role in cognitive activities. Through metacognition, we can continuously improve our thinking and action abilities and solve problems through observation-cognition-regulation-feedback.

Metacognition is so important, how can we improve our metacognition? This requires deliberate practice. How to train? There are several methods, including: meditation, focusing, and reflection, which should be used in combination. Today I will introduce meditation:

Meditation: Meditation, Med means "middle" in English, such as Middle. The origin of this word comes from the Pali word vipassana, which means "to go deep into something in order to observe it." Common meditations include:

"Concentration Meditation" - cultivating concentration;

"Compassion Meditation" - generating empathy;

"Mindfulness Meditation" ” – Eliminate emotional distress.

Meditation is a particularly effective "brain gymnastics". Many people who rely on their brains have the habit of meditating - the famous host Oprah, Steve Jobs, the god of management Matsushita Shinnosuke, and the CEO of Bridgewater Associates. The disciple Dalio has the habit of meditating for more than 20 minutes every day.

Radario started practicing meditation when he was in college and has been practicing it for more than 40 years. He said, "I started meditating in 1968 or 1969, and it completely changed my life... It made my mind clear, made me independent, let my thoughts fly freely, and it gave me many gifts."

There is scientific evidence that meditation can directly increase the surface area of ??the cerebral cortex of the trainee. There are many folds (also called "sulci") on the surface of the cerebral cortex. The increase in the surface area of ??the cerebral cortex is actually the result of the increase in sulci. Can you imagine how beneficial this kind of deliberate training is to the brain?

The most commonly used method is "mindfulness meditation", Mindfulness

Meditation is "observing oneself in the present moment without judgment". The action is observation, the object is yourself at the moment, and the requirement is to be non-judgmental and non-discriminatory. It sounds simple but is difficult to do.

When you exhale, realize that you are exhaling; when you inhale, realize that you are inhaling;

When your breathing becomes louder, realize that your breathing becomes louder. ; When your breathing becomes smaller, realize that your breathing becomes smaller;

If your mind wanders, realize that your mind wanders, and then don't criticize, just pull it back as soon as possible.

Let your breathing last for about 15 seconds at a time.

What should I do if I can’t breathe any longer? Realize that you can't grow any longer, and then pull back.

All logic is one - observe yourself in the present moment without judgment. No judgment, so no emotion.

It doesn’t need to be too long at first. Once a day, focusing on three breaths each time is enough. The best time is in the morning, if it can be in the same place. , when you are used to doing it three times a day and start to feel that it is not enough, gradually increase the time to 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 20 minutes. Once you find that you can't stick to it, maintain the original progress.

When you have major emotions or face major challenges, you can do 1 minute of mindfulness meditation.

You don’t need to cross your legs or use any special cushions at first. Find a hard chair and sit down with your feet flat. Your back should be straight, otherwise it will be easy to fall asleep.

If you need some guidance or background music, you can also use some auxiliary APPs. I personally prefer to use Whelan’s yoga rest technique. When it is difficult to concentrate, it is much better to have guidance; It would be better if you can do it without guidance, which means your metacognitive ability has improved.

In fact, when we focus our attention on a certain place and actively stop thinking about it, our brains will be more active than usual and can generate more connections. But our brain is designed to think. It is not easy to stop thinking and let go. When we find that it is thinking again during meditation, we only need to realize that the brain is thinking and gently pull it back. It's a normal reaction and there is no need to feel emotional about it. With this knowledge as a foundation, when we meditate again, we will be able to face various situations calmly. Because we know that these are normal reactions, we just need to slowly accept and adapt and we will definitely make progress.

Meditation is a process of becoming familiar with your own mental activities and bringing about long-term cognitive and emotional changes through mental training. Practicing meditation can improve the function of the brain, even the structure of the brain, and increase the "sulci" of the cerebral cortex. Meditation can help us become aware of our physical and mental state. When walking, meditation can tell you that you are walking, your heels can feel the softness and hardness of the ground, and your toes can feel the elasticity of the ground. Through meditation, you can improve your metacognitive abilities by becoming aware of your own consciousness and being aware of yourself. Friends who are interested can sit down immediately and meditate for one minute, or they can find relevant books to read, such as "The Miracle of Mindfulness" or "5 Minutes of Meditation is Equal to 1 Hour of Deep Sleep".

One minute of practice is better than ten minutes of doubtful deduction. Put down your phone and meditate!

I hope you and I can better understand our own cognition.

Reference: Classical Super Individual ("Get" Course)