Slowness is a decrease in the speed of thinking, cognitive and cognitive processes. Activity slowness and delay in decision making are also distinguished. In general, this category can be characterized as a decrease in reaction speed, relative to the speed of most people.
It is this personality quality that leads to general unfulfillment, a feeling of lack of success and a full life only in one’s own thoughts and plans. Slowness in adults has always left them in middle positions, but the slowness of children forces them to turn to specialists and look for various organic disorders. Since in many ways the speed of mental processes determines a person’s survival and his implementation in society, slowness is regarded as a pathology or a symptom characterizing a negative state.
Signs of slowness include the inability to concentrate on one task at hand; such people constantly need to be distracted by social feed news or watching programs. The following points include breaking a variety of temporary arrangements, be it paying bills or meeting friends. You can often notice that a person loses the chance to buy something on a promotion, catch a departing bus, or win in a promotion randomly organized near his home. All this happens due to the need for a long time to think about what is happening and make decisions.
Slowness. How to eliminate it?
Author: Olga Markova
Author Freelance.Today
A freelancer must have many skills that are simply irreplaceable in his work. For example, this is general literacy, perseverance, the ability to plan your work and much more.
But we are all human, and we all have our shortcomings. Freelancers have problems of a psychological nature that can greatly ruin the work process and reputation as a whole.
For example, we have already written about procrastination and creative burnout. Today we will talk about slowness.
What it is?
I remember, while still working at school, I loved to watch how children worked in class. Mashenka is already finishing the exercise, and Petya is just starting to write the first sentence. And the point is not that they have different levels of knowledge or speaking skills, that some try and some don’t. The whole secret is that the girl is by nature fast, nimble and does everything in a matter of seconds. The guy always takes a long time to get ready and does everything slowly.
Difference in temperament? Habit? Probably both.
So do freelancers. Someone can write an article of 1000 characters in half a day, while for others such text disappears in literally half an hour. Moreover, if you then compare the quality of both works, it will be at the same level.
Slowness is a serious obstacle to success. A slow freelancer often gets things done before the deadline and misses out on lucrative offers without being able to grab them in the hands of faster colleagues.
A slow person not only takes a very long time to complete work. He also does not know how to prioritize, puts off more important issues for later (i.e., is prone to procrastination), and is often forgetful and uncollected.
Reasons for slowness
What is the reason for such a completely unpleasant phenomenon? There may be several of them.
- characteristics of temperament. We all remember from our school biology course that people have four types of temperament: choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic and melancholic. If the first two do everything quickly, then the last two are in no hurry in life.
But the trick is that no person can have a “pure temperament” - each of us possesses, to one degree or another, traits of several types at once. You should remember this and learn to activate the strengths of your nature.
- doing unpleasant work. If we have to complete a task that we are not passionate about, most of us spend a very long time with it, finding excuses for ourselves and switching to “more important” things. This comes within Her Majesty's rights. Procrastination.
- performing complex work. The reasons are the same - a person is afraid of failure, begins to find excuses and ways to solve the problem in an easier or deceptive way; As a result, it takes an unreasonably long time to solve the problem.
- fear of looking stupid. Our people even have a proverb for this case: “He who is in a hurry makes people laugh.” So we do everything slowly, with arrangement, in order to look more professional and increase our value. Although it would seem that if you do everything quickly and take on a new project, you will earn more!
- ordinary laziness and the habit of giving everything carelessly. I won’t even comment on this.
The Danger of Slowness
Slowness in freelancing does not always increase your level in the eyes of the customer. Rather, everything happens exactly the opposite.
Many customers need a project “yesterday” or “suddenly”, and they want to see the result just a few hours after they gave you the task. In this case, a slow freelancer may be left with nothing, or, at best, only with an advance payment.
The main troubles that a freelancer who is not in a hurry constantly faces:
— you may simply not have time to take on the project. Our domestic stock exchanges for the most part are organized according to the principle: “Whoever gets up first gets the boot.” The one who manages to be the first to unsubscribe to the project is most often chosen as the contractor, in most cases this is exactly the case. If you wrote an application on the 25th, 50th, the likelihood is low that you will be noticed.
— slow work is a sign of an imminent deadline. This is the law. If you tinker with an order for a long time, you can quickly see a cluster of indignant letters from the customer in the mail and simply not be able to deliver the finished work on time.
— many clients also don’t like long responses on Skype and email. It may seem to them that you are either busy with other things or are simply ignoring them. Believe me, they will not forget to mention this in their review of you.
- slow and long work = lack of personal life and normal rest. If an ordinary freelancer spends about 7 hours a day working, then a slow one can work for 12 hours and still not finish everything. As a result, the work schedule is: computer – bed – computer. And there it’s not far from creative burnout and general fatigue.
How to eliminate procrastination
Slowness must and can be fought. Of course, you can’t escape it when you are learning new skills and have not yet made everything automatic. But if you always do everything slowly, it’s time to do something about it.
I will try to tell you several effective methods offered by the world's leading psychologists:
— the first and most effective way is planning . By making a plan, you will not be distracted by unnecessary things, and you will complete everything on time. Break complex, unpleasant tasks into several simple tasks - and you will not notice how the hard work will be done in a few hours, and not in a week!
I myself use this method all the time, although I don’t consider myself a slow person. I do everything quickly, but there are many objective factors that constantly distract me - and, as a result, I often run the risk of not delivering my work on time. For example, a small child who considers his main task in life to be to drag his mother away from the computer at any cost. As a result, an article may be started in the morning and completed late in the evening. Colleagues are often surprised that I write a publication plan in advance and work strictly according to it - but I don’t waste my working time while the child is sleeping searching for topics - I immediately get to work and get everything done.
- as a second method, I would advise you to take extra time to complete the task . If you know that you will spend two hours on work, but you tend to be slow, take three hours. But don’t relax at the same time, focus on two hours as the optimal execution time! This way, you will be on time, and the customer will not be nervous in vain - on the contrary, you will be praised for your efficiency.
- Get to work in a competitive spirit . This is another good psychological method. For example, you spend an hour doing a certain job. Set the bar higher for yourself: “Will I be able to do this in 50 minutes?” But focus not only on time - quality should not suffer from speed!
- “your eyes are afraid, but your hands are doing” - force yourself to start a business , no matter how difficult it may seem. You won’t even notice how you will finish everything to the end and on time, getting carried away by an interesting project.
Do everything and be successful!
Why does a child do everything slowly: psychological characteristics of phlegmatic, inert children
A slow child is a phlegmatic person.
It is worth remembering that the child is not to blame for such a psychological feature as slowness. Therefore, in no case should you reproach him for this, much less take out your anger and nervousness on him. Otherwise, instead of improvements, there may be a reverse reaction - mental trauma, which will lead to even greater stupor. Why does the child do everything slowly? Here are some important tips:
- Slowness and inertia are a characteristic of a child. Kopushis are no dumber than other children, do not have slow reactions or intellectual retardation. This is nothing more than a natural feature. All adults should remember this.
- Be tolerant. Psychologists believe that by rushing slow children, parents, on the contrary, contribute to a decrease in their mental development.
- Don’t scold a phlegmatic person, don’t make him angry. You also shouldn’t heat up the atmosphere by exclaiming: “ You’re probably doing this out of spite!” You’re deliberately delaying leaving the house because you don’t want to go to kindergarten/school!” . After all, such manipulations will slow down the reaction even more.
Why do children dig? The main reason is the inability to quickly switch from one type of activity to another. This may be due to the following conditions:
- Changes in the structure of the brain.
- Birth trauma.
- Unfavorable atmosphere in the family.
- Frequent scandals of parents.
- Other circumstances that in one way or another can have a detrimental effect on the child’s psyche.
Doctors determine the cause in each specific case:
- Psychologists
- Neuropathologists
- Pediatricians
However, slowness is not always the result of abnormalities or diseases. Quite often it happens that at a certain stage of his growing up, the behavior of the hoarder changes for the better, he begins to think and act faster. Accordingly, sometimes the feature is “age related”. The child may outgrow it. In such cases, it is nothing more than a developmental phase.
Tip: Help your child develop communication skills. How to do this, read the article at this link .
Games for slow children of preschool and primary school age: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 years old
One of the key positions in this category is occupied by games for slow children of preschool and primary school age, aimed at changing the pace of movements. As a rule, this is a transition from walking to fast running, and then to slow running. Naturally, at the signal of an adult.
For example, any exercise can be modified for children 3, 4, 5 years old:
- At the adult’s signal, clap your hands, changing the speed, tempo and musical accompaniment.
- You can also bend and straighten your fingers after an adult. Naturally, the speed should be varied.
As for activities with fast movements, the relay race principle is suitable - for children 6-7 years old :
- Children run to chairs located in the middle of the room, take toys or flags from them and try to get ahead of their opponents at the finish line.
- Each person who completes the distance passes the “trophy” to the next participant in the race.
You can also use another method:
- Give the children pieces of paper.
- The one who puts the most points in a short time wins a prize.
Another useful educational game “Hot Ball” - for children 8-9 years old :
- Participants pass the projectile to each other and stop on command.
- The one who did not manage to get rid of the ball is eliminated.
To develop internal inhibition, the game “Forbidden Movement” is suitable:
Game for slow children
Game "Everything is the other way around":
Game for slow children
With the joint efforts of parents and teachers, you will definitely be able to achieve positive results in the development of your child. Read the article below about the psychology of parenting “kopush”. It has more important tips for you.
The child is a little slow in hockey, no enthusiasm: should he throw?
The child is a little slow in hockey, there is no enthusiasm.
So, you sent your child to the sports section - hockey. I wish I could start enjoying his first successes now, but the coach is unhappy and says that this sport is not for your child. So what should you do - quit if your child is a little slow in hockey and has no enthusiasm? Here are the tips:
- First, determine the reason for the lack of enthusiasm : fatigue, lack of interest in the sport, fear of falling and injury, lack of progress, or something else.
- If a child repeatedly says that he is not against sports, but hockey is not to his liking at all , it is better to quit and consider other types of physical activity. The same football or martial arts.
- But, if a child does not want to go to training just because he wants to win, but is not yet able to (due to lack of experience and natural slowness), then it is worth delaying leaving the ice.
- It is worth noting that playing hockey often has a beneficial effect on kopush . Many parents notice that while skating, the child seems to “speed up”, and an improvement in reaction can be seen with the naked eye.
The downside to this sport for your baby is that the clumsy bastard can get injured. But, on the other hand, there is no completely harmless sport. The only way to protect yourself from bruises, abrasions, broken knees, fractures and dislocations is to play checkers or chess.
How to help an inert, slow child become fast: reviews
An inert, sluggish child needs to be helped to become fast.
Adults try to send their children to dozens of sections, just so that he can stay busy. It’s difficult for a child; he doesn’t have time to both study and study well, especially if he’s a pushover. Therefore, the best way would be to ask the child himself what he would like to do. After all, regardless of whether a child is a hoot or not, enthusiasm and effort are the most important thing in sports. Accordingly, torturing yourself and going to the “unloved” section is not the best option. Read the reviews below about how other parents helped their inert and slow children become fast:
Andrey, 33 years old
My Katyusha was very slow from early childhood. Each teeth cleaning took half an hour, and we usually did our homework for half a day. But since we started practicing correctional games as a family, which we learned about from the Internet, significant improvements have begun. My daughter began to get ready for school much faster; she no longer has to be rushed. Of course, the reaction is still a little slow, but the main thing is patience.
Victoria, 25 years old
When my husband suggested sending our slow Vanya to the martial arts section, I was very scared. But she didn’t argue. Now he is unrecognizable. Already a month later, changes in the reaction rate began to be observed. Moreover, he became more responsible. He already understands that he can’t dig around and tries to restore the “order of actions” as quickly as possible.
Antonina Vasilievna, 60 years old
Just recently, my granddaughter, Lenochka, was a terrible scoundrel. Our psychologist advised us to use corrective games. To be honest, we did not expect such radical changes. Six months later, she began to get ready for a walk faster than anyone else, and her school performance improved significantly. I will recommend this method to all my friends who believe that a “slow child” is a death sentence.
What activities to enroll a slow child at 8-9 years old in: tips
A slow child should be sent to additional activities that he likes.
Usually at 8-9 years old, parents begin to notice that their baby is a “bummer”. When other children are already bringing their first results to their mom and dad, their child is still standing still. What classes should I send my slow child to?
- Of course, the leisure time of the “kopushi” should not differ from the free time of other children.
- Therefore, in addition to home games aimed at speeding up the reaction, you can try to enroll your child in a sports section.
- But what kind of sport should you choose so that the exercises not only benefit the body, make the child physically stronger, but also increase the degree of his “agility?”
There are many alternatives, read below for tips.
If the child is a boy, martial arts are preferable. They can be throwing or impact. In addition to developing responsiveness in the physical sense, coaches of these sports also cultivate the “philosophical side” of the young athlete, as a rule, this is:
- Self-discipline
- Ability to concentrate one's strength
- Distribute energy
- Subordinate movements to the brain center
Worth knowing: Children who attend such sections become patient and know how to maintain self-control. Consequently, the hoarder’s fingers will stop getting tangled when he tries in vain to quickly tie his shoelaces or fasten his coat with all the buttons.
Even young athletes always have excellent respect for themselves and others. They know how to listen and hear, resolve conflicts with people and work in a team.
It is worth remembering: Parents should not forget about the increased risk of injury in any sport. Therefore, adequately assess the risks and effects of classes before sending your child to one or another section.
Martial arts have a positive effect not only on reaction. By doing them, the child will become not slow, but thoughtful - but, at the same time, ready to “speed up” significantly if necessary.
Principles
The cognitive system includes conscious and unconscious thinking. Researchers have identified 6 principles for separating one from the other.
- The concept of unconscious thought is based on conscious and unconscious types of thinking. Conscious thinking refers to cognitive action aimed at a task or object that is the focus of attention. In an unconscious thought process, events are outside the focus of the thinking individual.
- The law of capacity implies storing no more than 7-9 elements of information in working memory. This rule does not apply to unconscious thinking.
- The “top-down” and “bottom-up” aspects indicate the issuance of a ready-made solution by the subconscious sphere after absorbing the facts in their entirety, while the conscious mind processes the data systematically through various schemes and definitions.
- The principle of weightiness comes down to the fact that the best decisions are made by people in moments of some distraction from the important and complex tasks at hand. Therefore, unconscious thinking is often more effective than conscious reasoning.
- The principle of the rule states that answers found at the unconscious level do not always correspond to the laws of logic, since they are based on associations. Conscious decisions are always based on formal rules.
- The principle of rapprochement (convergence) involves penetrating into the essence of the problem and forgetting about it. Then unconscious thinking takes over and the deadlock is easily resolved. Some cooperation is formed between conscious and unconscious thinking.
