Mono-tasking and Evolution 🐜 What we can learn from the ant world

Image: my morning cacao & a tiny little ant trail along the stick next to it - can you spot them?

I recently posted on instagram an image of my ant friends during a morning spent in the bush with my beloved mug of cacao. I receive a lot of inspiration (as well as restoration, of course) from nature, and make it a daily priority to spend time outside and/or cacao sipping & nature gazing from a window.

Yesterday I was sat next to a line of little ants marching their way from a small hole in the earth, across the dormant moss mats, dry soil, and limestone rock, trailing across a branch and onto the next part of their adventure out of sight. They looked like they were on a mission, every now and then one of them spotted holding a little white ball (probably an egg) and so I assumed they were relocating themselves from nest A to nest B.

The great thing about this was that I could sit quietly with them, without being investigated by this trail of ants (which usually happens...for some reason, me and my cacao tend to be quite popular amongst the ant colonies of Narrungga Country where I sit...). While sat there, slowly sipping, breathing in the fresh eucalyptus air, enjoying the warm sunshine on my face, and relishing in every delicious ounce of cacao, I was reminded of a few things from these tiny little creatures that we often (myself included) write off as 'annoying';

Reminder #1: Mono-tasking is the ONLY way 🐜

These little ants were focussed on one thing, and one thing only - getting from point A to B. No matter if there was a stick or rock in the way, they'd get around it and continue on their way. No fuss. No quick texts to send, or other ants stopping them in the metaphorical hallway for a quick chat about tomorrows' meeting...

Multi-tasking has been glorified as the only way to get things done, and the best way to demonstrate your 'productivity' and capability. Women especially have taken to the idea of being able to multi-task, and men most often will prove a point by claiming that they can't multi-task*. At the risk of being ostracised here, I'm with the dudes on this one. (*data collected from own experience 😉 )

Technically, our brains cannot multi-task. They can only focus on one thing at a time, and if you switch between tasks or try to do 2 things at a time, your brain is not simultaneously focussing on both...it is only switching focus from one thing to another, back and forth, constantly. This uses up physical energy and resources, and leads to fatigue.

Doing one thing at a time allows you to focus, actually tick things off of your list (instead of only half doing many things), and conserve brain power for sustained work (instead of brain drain quickly).

Too long, didn't read (TLDR); Be more like ants. Focus on what you're doing, only when you're doing it, and don't try to do it all at once.

Reminder #2: Presence is medicine 🐜

This is quick and simple. Doing one thing at a time (mono-tasking) allows us to stay present in the moment, with whatever it is that we're doing. Staying present allows us to keep from falling into the spirals of ruminating on the past, and worrying about the future.

TLDR; Staying present helps us to linger a little longer in the green zone, and not fall into the pinky-red zones of anxiety and stress...

Reminder #3: We aren't evolved enough for the world we've created (!) 🐜

This one might seem a bit left-field, but hear me out. Our bodies evolved to live in the forest (or out in the desert/caves/mountains...anywhere in nature). We evolved to socialise and connect, hunt and gather, farm, work in teams, procreate and enjoy sex, avoid tigers and crocodiles, etc etc BEFORE industrialisation and the internet. Technically, evolution takes thousands if not millions of years - and industrialisation has only happened in the past 200. Our nervous systems are only evolved 'enough' to run away from literal threats (tigers and crocs etc) and not to deal with 'perceived' threats of passive aggressive emails, constant notifications, expectations of productivity vs creativity...

TLDR; We are not built to withstand this constant bombardment of information, overstimulation, and continuous high performance expectation on our bodies and minds.

Reminder #4: You are who you surround yourself with 🐜

Sitting next to these ants reminds me of all of those (above) things. Simply by being in their presence, I am inspired by them and feel less desire to 'hustle and grind' simply because society says I have to. Which brings me to my final point - you are who you surround yourself with. I read once that you are the sum total of your 5 closest friends/humans. We are often influenced by those around us - the more people that are around us with white BMWs, tends to make us want a white BMW (to put it simply). But what about your life values and how you see the world? Who do I 'sit' myself next to, daily? Chaotic hustling stressed ants who don't know which way they're going or how to look after their own body? Or focused, rested, present ants who are grounded in a sustainable way of being in their little micro-world? 

TLDR; Surround yourself with good ants. 

My invitation to you

Go sit in nature. Notice the pace, the lifestyle of each animal/insect/living thing, the vibe. Be reminded of how simple things can be, and how contentment can be found in the most mundane daily acts. If you need help to do this - the Slow Living Studio has multitudes of practices that are created just for this!

TLDR; Be more like ants.

🐜🐜🐜

Sipping slowly with you,

Sez x