I can't find my groove, feeling quite neurotic, don't know why?

Hello there!

I totally get you! When you describe your state of mind, it's like you're describing a state where you can do things with ease and efficiency. You'll have these amazing, unexpected gains and a sense of control. I know you really hope this state will last forever, but it seems to disappear in an instant. The more you try to find it, the more you can't find it.

I totally get what you're saying! I've had similar experiences. For instance, when I practice yoga, I sometimes feel really good—like my body is light and my breathing is smooth. I can easily achieve asanas that I usually can't. It's pretty amazing! But then, I really want to find that moment of state again, but the more I crave it, the worse I feel. I've noticed that I feel better after I let go of this craving. Maybe the truth of all things is really interconnected!

Or maybe this is what they mean by impermanence: everything is always changing, and nothing lasts forever. We can't hold on to things forever, so the best thing to do is let go.

It's so interesting how our minds work! According to dialectical materialism, things go through a process of quantitative change to qualitative change. Maybe that good feeling was the result of countless silent efforts. But if we become obsessed with this state of mind, we may fall into a pit. So when doing many things, we tell ourselves that the best state of mind is to only ask for hard work and not ask for rewards.

From your whole description, I can see that you are actually a very diligent, sensitive, and spirited child. You can capture that fleeting moment of enlightenment and pursue it with persistence. I'm sure you will succeed!

My advice to you is to try to let go of this obsessive pursuit and recite the passages you should recite with a steady hand. You've got this!

The college entrance exam is over, and you're about to start a new chapter in your life! I wish you all the best for the future!

I really hope Hongyu's reply helps you, and thank you so much for your question!

Although I responded to this inquiry only after the college entrance exam, I hope that the questioner has already found the answer to this question. However, I still feel compelled to provide my input.

If I were in your position, I would also be experiencing this level of enthusiasm after acquiring such a valuable method. Given your high expectations, you may be inadvertently limiting your freedom.

When I purchased the lottery ticket, my objective was purely recreational. I did not anticipate winning a significant amount of money. However, on my next purchase, I will undoubtedly consider the possibility of a larger payout.

While the college entrance exam is over, you will still face tests of a more practical nature, which may prove more significant than the exam itself. It is important to maintain a positive mindset, but the ability to remain calm and confident in any situation is essential. Having the self-assurance to embrace a positive mindset when it arises is crucial for maintaining motivation and resilience.

I can improve significantly by implementing this method. What if there is no such method?

Do you believe that you can identify alternative solutions to the same problem?

You are fortunate to have received this valuable insight, and you are grateful. However, I believe you should also recognize your own capabilities in this regard. After all, it was you who identified this line of thinking. It is not ephemeral; it is a valuable asset. It is not meant to dictate your circumstances, but to empower you to master it. You possess the ability to focus and find solutions to problems, and they may still be unique to you.

As a regular visitor to this area, I am not an expert, but I do have experience. If you are emotionally troubled and would like to talk to someone, you are welcome to join me and become the master and friend of your own emotions. Best regards,

Hello. I see your dilemma. You want to find a shortcut to success.

But you realized you were back to normal, so you lost the passion to keep going. I've taken the college entrance exam, so I understand.

The work before the college entrance exam is hard and boring. We all hope there's a shortcut to success. Our mental state and strength change as we learn, and they're often unbalanced. Hormones can even make things worse.

Sometimes we feel great. On certain days, we feel alert, full of energy, and think clearly. Most of the time, however, our mind and body are just in a normal, stable state.

Treat the occasional benefit you receive as if it were a lucky find. Don't expect too much, just accept it and enjoy it.

Good luck on the college entrance exam!

Hello, my name is Hua Er, and I'm happy to be here!

From what you've told me, it seems like you've had some surprising experiences where you noticed a big improvement after reading the second paragraph. It's totally normal for our feelings and perceptions to change over time, though. Sometimes, we might not feel the same way about something after experiencing it a second time.

1. Anchoring effect

This reminds me of something I learned in psychology. It's called the "anchoring effect." It basically means that when we need to estimate something, we often start with a specific number or value that influences how we see the rest of the picture.

It's totally normal to give too much weight to the information we initially obtain when making decisions.

When this surprise was first discovered, the memory was brand new and really felt deep in terms of how we felt about it. Later, when we tried to do this again, we probably had some expectations in our minds, based on what we'd learned before. And if the actual result didn't match up with our expectations, we might have felt a little frustrated or disappointed.

2. Psychological tolerance/adaptation

We know that drugs are tolerant, and that's okay!

Drug tolerance is a natural process that our bodies go through when we take certain drugs. It's like our bodies get used to the drug and need a little more to get the same effect. To keep getting the same result, we need to increase the dose. This is what we call drug tolerance.

So, do we also have tolerance/adaptation psychologically? Absolutely! When we first receive stimulating information, it may cause excitement and we may experience strong emotions.

It's like this: when we keep on seeing or hearing things that are similar, our brains get to work in a simpler way. This means that we don't have to put in as much effort to process the same things over and over again. So, we don't get as worked up as we did the first time!

I think this might also explain why so many new discoveries are so impressive the first time around!

We love feeling excited, but it might be good for our brains to have a little more balance.

I encourage you to explore learning methods that resonate with you when you're not feeling overly excited.

I really hope this helps the questioner. Wishing you all the best!

Greetings. I am a heart exploration coach. I will provide a supportive and empathetic presence as you share your emotional experiences.

I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations on reaching a significant milestone in your life. You are at liberty to engage in whatever relaxation activities you find most beneficial before embarking on the college application process.

I have carefully read your text, and in particular, your experience of studying English effectively before an exam immediately made me think of the book Flow. I also recommend it to you, as I believe it will be beneficial for your future growth and development.

The term "flow" was first introduced by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

The term denotes a state of absorption and engrossment in a given task or activity. In this state, one's sensory perception becomes highly acute, with enhanced vision, hearing, and olfactory abilities. Additionally, the clarity of thought is markedly elevated, and the individual experiences a profound sense of immersion, to the extent that the passage of time is often perceived as having ceased.

Upon completion of the task, a profound sense of fulfillment will naturally emerge, eliciting an exceptional feeling of joy. The state of flow is a state of self-forgetfulness achieved through the dedication of one's entire being to a singular task.

In this state, the perception of time is altered; the self is forgotten, and the individual is solely focused on the task at hand. The process of working hard is experienced as enjoyable, and the anticipated reward after achieving the goal is not a concern.

Once an individual has entered this state, they will experience a state of inner joy and calm happiness. Although this state may initially seem mysterious, it is not an unattainable state.

The majority of individuals have experienced this state of mind at least once during their lifetime. For instance, some individuals may have spent an hour engaged in mathematical problem-solving during their academic years.

During that hour, the individual experiences the perception of accelerated time and a state of intense concentration and oblivion.

Additionally, a sense of satisfaction is experienced upon completion of a task. This is referred to as the state of flow.

A comparable state is also observed in other activities, such as dancing, chess, or even playing a specific game.

The question thus arises as to how one might ascertain whether they are in a state of flow.

1. Concentration: The subject displays a high degree of focus on the task at hand.

2. One experiences a state of ecstasy, a sense of liberation from the distractions of everyday life and a profound sense of bliss.

3. Inner clarity. The individual is aware of the subsequent action to be taken and the optimal method for achieving it.

4. Your abilities align with the demands of the task at hand. You neither find the task unduly easy nor unmanageable, nor do you experience excessive anxiety.

5. A state of peace and tranquility is attained, accompanied by a loss of self-awareness.

6. The perception of time is altered; it seems to pass rapidly without conscious awareness.

7. Inner motivation. The individual experiences a sense of volition and identification with the goal, leading to the perception that they are acting of their own accord.

In this state, not only is one's subjective experience of well-being enhanced, but objective measures of efficiency also show marked improvement. A study by McKinsey & Company indicates that when individuals are in the "flow" state, their efficiency can be increased by up to five times.

The question thus arises as to why it is so challenging for individuals to attain the state of "flow."

It is essential to comprehend the concept of "mental entropy," which pertains to the extent of disorder and chaos in an individual's consciousness. In the context of physics, entropy represents a measure of disorder.

As we endeavor to perform to the best of our abilities, our minds become inundated with a plethora of thoughts, rendering it challenging to maintain focus on the immediate task at hand. This phenomenon can be described as "mental entropy," a state of cognitive disarray. The higher the level of chaotic awareness, the higher the entropy value of "mental entropy."

It is hoped that readers will recall this infrequent experience of "flow" and that perusing this tome will engender further inspiration, learning, and training, thereby facilitating the capacity to experience more "flow."

It is my sincere hope that the aforementioned information has been beneficial to you. I extend my warmest regards to you and to the world.

Should you wish to continue the communication process, you are invited to click on the "Find a coach" option, which can be found in the upper right-hand corner or at the bottom of the page. I will communicate and grow with you on an individual basis.

Hello!

I'm thrilled to be a practicing listener at One Mind!

You talked about your experience of wanting to improve your score before the college entrance exam. Now that the exam is finally over, you're ready to celebrate! While the exam didn't bring you a sense of joy, you're excited to write down the details of this experience, including your original intention at the time.

You talk about your experience of trying to improve your score before the college entrance exam. Now that the exam is finally over, it seems that its end has not brought you a sense of joy. But that's okay! Instead, at this time, you recall the short period of time before the exam when you tried to improve your score. You write about the details of this experience, including what your original intention was at the time, what methods you found, what you did, and the results of doing so.

You emphasized the sense of surprise, and it was incredible! Can the word "a floodgate opens" really describe the feeling at that time? When writing, ideas come flooding in, and even though it's in English, it's still brilliantly written!

But what's going on? When you try to implement this method, your brain seems to be telling you not to do it!

What's going on?

The first clue you found is feelings!

Specifically, they are different types of feelings that appear one after the other. They include a sense of hope for improving writing, a sense of surprise at the results, a sense of breakthrough that you want to try more, a sense of questioning the phenomenon, and finally they come together to become a sense of confusion. Isn't it exciting to see how your brain works?

And the second clue you found is this: awareness of thinking!

The second clue you found is: awareness of thinking — and it's a great one!

This clue also has several aspects, and they're all pretty fascinating. First, there's this state of laziness that you perceive in your conscious behavior.

Then, you hear a voice in your head saying, "This isn't going to work if you study this way." And then, you realize, "I can't get back that feeling I had when I first studied it."

I'm so impressed! You've added a whole paragraph to explain your "view of learning," and that's after the first day of the college entrance exam! You talk about the foundations of learning, revision, and how they relate to the outcome of this exam.

There is an amazing psychological treatment method in the field of psychology. It is called cognitive behavioral therapy in Chinese, and the English abbreviation is CBT, which is the abbreviation for cognitive behavior therapy. Cognitive means cognition, behavior means behavior, and therapy means treatment. Let me give you a brief understanding of this incredible theory to see if it can help you answer your questions.

Let's draw a simple, fun diagram! We'll start with a circle, cut it in half, and then fill in the three parts:

1. Idea recognition

2. Emotions and feelings

Now, let's dive into the exciting world of behavior!

The three parts are all connected and work together in a really interesting way. We can show this with three two-way arrows. We put 1 (idea cognition) at the top because it's the part that's in our heads and it's really important to have a good understanding of the overall situation.

I think this diagram is amazing! It allows us to think about problems from the perspective of the interaction between 1, 2, and 3. It's also a great example of categorization. Practicing it in our daily lives can help us organize our thoughts!

I think this diagram is amazing! It allows us to think about problems from the perspective of the interaction between 1, 2, and 3. It's also a great example of categorization. Practicing categorization according to it in our daily lives can help us organize our thoughts!

It's like there's always a need for some storage cabinets and boxes at home. And the great thing is, if you are diligent in organizing them, you can always keep them tidy!

And guess what? Your brain also needs this kind of organization! Otherwise, you might feel nervous, and nobody wants that.

Hello! The college entrance exam is over, so I'm curious: how do you feel?

From your description, it's clear you were excited and eager to find an effective learning method. This method is not only effective but also feasible. If you use this method, I'm confident your grades will improve! At the same time, did you feel great?

I really think you're amazing. Some students see learning as just learning, something mechanical, but you've reached another level of learning – thinking and creating. This is what you really learn through the act of learning. I don't think there's anything like a flash of inspiration. Behind a flash of inspiration is sufficient accumulation and thinking. So, regarding the process of you finding this method, I firmly believe that you've paid enough and must give yourself a virtual thumbs-up.

I've had similar experiences. Sometimes when I read a book, I suddenly feel enlightened, like I've understood everything and it's been a worthwhile experience. I feel particularly satisfied with this state of mind. If it lasted forever, I'd be unbeatable in terms of absorption and progress. But like you, this state of mind seems to be hard to come by.

After seeing your question, I took a closer look. What's the difference?

If there is any difference, I think it's about personal mentality.

Experiencing the sense of success, along with the accompanying sense of pleasure and conquest, is about one's omnipotent narcissism. It's a great feeling—like you can do anything. Our bodies become obsessed with this feeling, so we expect the same from ourselves in order to experience this wonderful feeling again.

But if you put too much pressure on yourself, you'll be disappointed when you hit a roadblock and might even start doubting yourself.

Before watching TV programs, I didn't understand why some people were so nervous when they had to do something important, like perform on stage. But when the main character let themselves calm down and relax, they were able to handle it easily or even do better than expected. I watched it for fun and never thought about it much.

I'm not sure when it started, but I began to experience that relaxed state they were in, as if I had gained some understanding. It turns out that in this state of mind, your mind is flexible, uninhibited, and without so many expectations. Instead, your explosive power and creativity are unexpected.

I started trying to adjust my expectations, be more flexible, and not set my sights too high. I'm still working on this, but I think it's a good approach.

I'd like to share my understanding and experience with you, discuss them with you, and grow together.