Off-Topic Balancing mental energy, learning/retaining new information, and training

[Anna C]

I think a big part of my struggle is that I want to learn things that haven’t come naturally to me in the past.

Hopefully the struggle will lead to those things coming more naturally to you! I think it will. I think back to 10 years ago when I first found this forum, how foreign the language was to me, and it was months before I had anything meaningful to contribute. Now, it does come naturally. Struggling with something new is a worthy endeavor and it will get easier as you continue to engage. I salute you! As Dory says in Finding Nimo, "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming."

 

[Manuel Fortin]

@bluejeff Oh boy do I have a lot to say about this subject. I graduated in physics a long time ago. At 52, I got back into it about 1 year ago (for fun) and can identify a lot with what you are experiencing. For context, you can have a look at my Youtube channel, @Deeperscience (shameless plug). I only have a few videos on it, as my goal is to provide insight that is not often provided, or at least to show less known approaches to many physics and related math issues. Each video requires a lot of research and some original thinking, only if to reconcile and put together many approaches to the same issue.

I noticed that I have less mental horsepower than when I was younger. However, by working at it, I am slowly improving. My hypothesis is that a lot of what we perceive as decline in mental prowess is due to the fact that most adult stop using their analytical "science" brain once they get out of school. Just like observing that most older adults are not strong. It's not that they are inherently unable to be strong, it's just that they stopped training. There is a small decline with age even if you train, but it's much less than what the actual observation of older adults strength would let you believe. My hypothesis is that it's the same with mental strength, however you want to define it. I did not work my analytical brain as much after I started working than when I was a full-time student. From experience, I am getting better and better with time, only doing physics and math less than 10 hours a week. I used to do 50 to 60 when I was 20. Note that this is only a hypothesis, and this is not supported by science, but my hunch is that this is closer to reality than saying that at 40 you are done. You may be 5-10% less able than you were when 20, but there is still a lot of thinking to be done. As an aside, you will often hear chess champions say that they cannot be the world champion anymore at 40. This is probably true, but that doesn't mean they cannot play chess. It just means that they cannot be in the top 10 of chess players anymore, but they would still crush most players.

Now, for some practical advice:

- One semester I took 17 credits of physics. That was a crazy mistake. I am sure that you have to take non-physics elective in your program. If possible, try to have one of them each semester. At least at my university, not all credits were equal. For example, the semester I took general relativity, I am sure I spent about 15+ hours a week on that single 3 credits class. The semester I took cell biology, I spent less than 5 hours a week on that subject, including going to 3 hours of lecture. I got the same grade in both classes.

- You will not understand everything during your degree. I was an A student, and there are classes in which I completely missed the deeper understanding. All I could do to learn how to do the problems. I think that's just the nature of physics. I noticed that I kept on getting new insights in the material years after taking the original class, sometimes even after I quit doing any quantitative stuff.

- It's normal to have to read the theory and the examples multiple times before you understand them. If possible, try to redo the sample problems on your own. If you have enough time, redoing the theory by yourself can also help, guided by your textbook. You probably don't have to redo all the calculations, but having an idea of the main steps is a good idea.

- I agree to minimize THC and alcohol use. One thing I notice is that while I could get smashed once a week when I was 18 and still perform well at school, nowadays getting my blood alcohol level above the legal driving limit severely reduced my brain power the day after.

- The lack of need to concentrate for long periods of time had greatly reduced my attention span. The good news is that by working on it, it's coming back. You stopped school 20 year ago. If you never concentrated for hours at a time during that period, it's normal that you have trouble doing it. You have to get used to it. 18 months is not a long time. It took me 13 years of school to get where I was when I entered college.

- One wonderful thing when comparing now to 35 years ago is that if you don't understand something, there are so many resources available on the internet to help you. When I was a student, if the textbook selected by the professor was bad, you were toast. There were 3-4 other textbooks at the library offered as supplementary material, but they were often just as bad. Nowadays, if you are stuck, you can look at other lectures, other written resources, and at forums. The physics Stack Exchange forum is really good. Also, look up David Tong's lectures. I really like them. He explains well the relationships between the different concepts, instead of just deriving results one after the other.

 

[ali]

Aware that the education system here in the UK is different than the US, so some of my/your terms may be equivalent....

I've just finished a maths and physics degree via Open University, a well established and respected distance learning course (saying that because some distance learning courses may not have the same standards). Age 59, now 60 and can testify to the challenges already mentioned.

When you say physics, what speciality or in general - is it the maths you struggle with or the conceptual side of things?
My main focus - elected courses for 3rd year- was astrophysics and relativity. My tutor stated on the first relativity tutorial -'don't worry about not understanding this stuff, it took me many years and still don't get it' - which was reassuring and terrifying given I had 9 months to learn the material. And during the course, a fellow student who taught chemistry at degree level, had a phd and worked in the industry for 20 years, took some maths courses to brush up beforehand and didn't understand the, er, science. Equally reassuring for fellow strugglers and a bit daunting to be fair.

Science is hard. Physics is head-scratchingly difficult so some tips that helped me navigate through the course:

You have your text books and modules - go beyond that and read some pop science books that don't lean into heavy duty maths but focus more on explainers, analogies and models of how to think about some of the concepts. Create models of understanding in your own mind and go back to course material and fit the maths to your understanding. If maths is the issue, separate the 2. It was reasonable for me to do this as I had separate mathematical studies - and some maths, not all, is just a matter of practice, practice and practice. I enjoyed the separation - and then tie them together to reveal the elegance, the meaning and the beauty of how our current understanding of everything has maths at its core. It isn't easy to see - and I say current because, well, there's a lot we don't know. Studying is difficult - we all have methods to work for each of us. I can't study by rote learning or able to read and commit to memory to regurgitate, I need to make sense of stuff....which is my point about getting a concept and then apply the maths to see it more fully.

Regards training. It never really changed for me - the meditative moderated range of SF programmes and the ease to pick them up work wonders. Sitting down for long periods was/is an issue....bit of a hang, stretch Hera and there. No long sessions, keeping it to 45 minutes or so. I had some of my 'Ah ha' moments walking the dog and listening to science podcasts. An explainer by Neil De Grasse Tyson about spacetime came at a good time when I really wasn't getting it by hard study, I needed a relaxed state of mind, another way of seeing the same thing expressed differently from the one I was reading - so mixed media is great for that, podcasts, videos, documentaries around the subject matter helps. Something you can do which doesn't demand too much focus to allow you to absorb the stuff more readily, with less effort.

I used to get wrapped up in my own failings and self doubt, thinking that as age progressed I was finding it harder to study. That is probably true but it is also true that physics is really difficult and everyone struggles with it. So you are not alone. So mix it up with different approaches and enjoy it. As for alcohol and other substances if that's your thing - for maths, nope, a no no. For physics? Well, you know....

 

[silveraw]

I'm not sure if this will be useful since I'm not very good at "formal" education systems. But through the course of my career I often need to rapidly learn new concepts, keep on top of new concepts, and be able to effectively utilize what I learned quickly.

I've found that having a specific project/goal helps immensely. Then I break it down into its base components. The base components aren't ever perfect, but I just do the best I can with what I have at starting. Next I figure out what looks like a logical order of operations and start at the base and work my way up.

Conceptually, I think of it like Captain John Boyd's OODA loop framework. The Tao of Boyd: How to Master the OODA Loop

I take concepts I know, try to apply them to the specific challenge, then fill in the gaps and update the models accordingly.

Longer term learning I like to use Obsidian's note taking system. (I've lost so many notes due to closed file formats it's ridiculous, Evernote did me dirty). I have just a few folders in Obsidian. Daily notes, Literature notes, Long notes, Distilled Notes, and Assets. Basically literature notes are when I'm taking notes on blogs, books, videos, etc. Long form notes are basically all of the literature notes and daily notes organized by topic. Distilled notes are the summary form of the long notes, and Daily notes are whatever I'm learning that day. Asssets is just where I dump all the images, PDFs, audio files, etc. that are linked up in the other notes.

An example: Recently I had to learn to hand code HTML emails. Previously I only had experience with bash and PoSH scripting. (I work more on the automation side, but due to a management decision I went from having arguably one of the worlds best drag and drop email builders to one that was outdated two decades ago, making it functionally unusable for what we wanted to do.)

The first step I broke the problem down into the components I knew of. I read some blogs and articles about hand coding emails and made a literature note about every specific blog that I had. Those literature notes were put into a long note (Obsidian links notes together, so no copy pasting. If I update a lit note, it updates the Long note.)

The next step I identified which of my assumptions were wrong. Updated the long note accordingly and formulated a plan to address the newly refined problem. I needed to learn basic HTML and CSS to build a decent email. So I found a good website that covered HTML and CSS basics in a format that I understood. (Project Odin, one of the great things on the internet). I went through the program and took literature notes and long notes about each topic (in this case it was HTML and CSS).

Now that I had the basic blocks down I needed to apply them. I went through several blogs and took notes on how to tweak HTML to work with email clients and identified what needs to happen to make them work universally across clients. At this point I could tweak existing templates to be what I needed them to be. It wasn't as fast as the drag and drop builder, but it worked.

During this phase I found some tools that relied on basic HTML and CSS knowledge to automate a lot of the background stuff. (MJML, if anyone has to build an email from scratch, this is the best tool I've found so far.) So I took what I just learned about basic web development and utilized that to rebuild our templates in MJML, which allows me to iterate new and completely custom emails in 30 minutes.

So at the end of this process I was able to do in 30 minutes the same task that took the agency's email expert 4 hours to do. All within the span of a couple weeks. And with less errors and malformed emails in certain clients.

To use the great analogy from the AoM article above, I learned to build snowmobiles faster and better.

I've used this method to learn basic business accounting, python and pandas basics, media buying, business development, strength training, and to tackle just about any problem that comes up. If in any of those areas I find I need to dive deeper, I just repeat the process with the newly identified problem that needs to be solved.

Some key concepts that I like to keep in mind when working this type of system. "Strong beliefs, loosely held"- Peter Attia "If something is correct 80% of the time, just assume it is correct"- Ray Dalio and "Its OK to assume, but know when you are assuming and be honest when your assumptions are wrong" -Dunno probably something I synthesized in a distilled note.

I'm in my late 30s, have two jobs, and have hobbies that are time intensive along with trouble focusing for long periods of time. This method seems to fit my personal set of challenges pretty well. Plus it is enjoyable too.

Hopefully that helps and doesn't just send you down a productivity procrastination loop. At the end of the day you do have to actually read the material and you do actually have to learn it enough to utilize it.

 

[bluejeff]

@Manuel Fortin and @ali thank you for your input and resource suggestions; it is greatly appreciated. I've had many people tell me they still struggle to really understand physics concepts after years of learning. While it is .... reassuring (?) in a weird way, it hasn't eased my mind....yet.

When you say physics, what speciality or in general - is it the maths you struggle with or the conceptual side of things?

Honestly....I think it depends. If I goof up the math, it's often just silly mistakes, or getting lost in problems that run multiple pages (derivations in quanum physics, for example) where one little mistake derails everything. The big problem seems to be the sheer volume of information. I feel like I can understand each "little piece," but there are so many little pieces that I just plain forget some of them sometimes. Since I took quantum this semester (assuming I pass after my final next week....I think I will), I can use it as an example. I think I get most of the main conceptual points, but it's putting them together with the math to solve new problems in homework or tests that really nails me. So I guess it's tying the math to the concepts that is most tricky for me.

Hopefully that helps and doesn't just send you down a productivity procrastination loop.

Haha I have been there multiple times, planning how to be productive instead of being productive.... it's a trap. Thanks for the well-outlined advice!

 

[Sanjoy Mahajan]

I guess I am wondering if anyone has had any success with supplements, diet, lifestyle modifications, etc for increasing mental energy and focus.

I have found that keto and intermittent fasting were very good for my brain. For example, my reaction time seems to have halved (twice as fast), which I attribute to having sufficient fat, and improved fatty-acid metabolism, to remyelinate neurons (which insulates them and thereby speeds up nerve signals).

I also found that coffee was unhealthy for me, messing up my ketosis and leaving me hungry for no reason. Tea has been fine.

P.S. Off the topic of your request, but:

I taught physics for many years and have written a physics textbook that might help make your physics learning more efficient: _The Art of Insight in Science and Engineering_. The publisher, MIT Press, agreed to publish it under a free license (CC-NC-SA), and you can get the PDF directly here: https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-monograph/5345/The-Art-of-Insight-in-Science-and

Are you studying at UC-Boulder? An old friend, Noah Finkelstein, is a professor there. He is a fantastic teacher and researcher on physics education.

 

[conor78]

Work as a school principal, married 3 kids. Between training bjj, preparing for SFG2 I’ve found I’ve very little bandwidth left. Two things that have really helped is the Pomodorro technique explained here by Conor Neill.

I also have been using the Endel app for focused study and a Remarkable 2 for note writing. Not perfect solutions but definitely seems to help.

 

[Torin]

I taught physics for many years and have written a physics textbook that might help make your physics learning more efficient: _The Art of Insight in Science and Engineering_.

This is a great book.
I read Street Fighting Mathematics and the Art of Insight years ago, and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

 

[bluejeff]

I taught physics for many years and have written a physics textbook that might help make your physics learning more efficient: _The Art of Insight in Science and Engineering_. The publisher, MIT Press, agreed to publish it under a free license (CC-NC-SA), and you can get the PDF directly here: The Art of Insight in Science and Engineering: Mastering Complexity

Are you studying at UC-Boulder? An old friend, Noah Finkelstein, is a professor there. He is a fantastic teacher and researcher on physics education.

Wow, thanks so much! I will check out your book once I'm done with this semester next week. I am at MSU Denver.

Work as a school principal, married 3 kids. Between training bjj, preparing for SFG2 I’ve found I’ve very little bandwidth left. Two things that have really helped is the Pomodorro technique explained here by Conor Neill.

I also have been using the Endel app for focused study and a Remarkable 2 for note writing. Not perfect solutions but definitely seems to help.

Thanks. I got a Remarkable 2 for Christmas and I absolutely love it. I haven't used the 20-minute variation of the Pomodoro technique, but I tend to work in blocks of about 40-45 minutes. It definitely helps. I am well aware that "marathoning" my school work is a fast road to exhaustion rather than efficient learning.

 

[Golder]

Lots of great ideas here. I’ll add:

Simplify everything you can. Workouts, meals, clothing decisions, daily routines. The more simple and repetitive these daily choices, the less bandwidth and mental energy they consume during the day. The little stuff can add up. Options are not always good.

Keep workout volume and intensity low, because if your recovery needs are too high, that’s gonna fight for energy resources with your head.

Don’t be afraid of small bites and lots of breaks. Meaning, make your blocks of focus time reasonable — don’t shackle yourself for a 4 hour work block. Keep the focus blocks 45-90 min, whatever works for you, and take a decent break in between. Doing something active / physical during breaks. Try not to spend break on phone / screen. Move around. Grease the groove on something. Fast and loose drills are good here.

Watch out for / be aware of distractions of phone / technology. Lots of time and energy leaks here for people. Can lead to over stimulation when we’re already over stimulated / extended already.

Good luck!

 

[Abishai]

I am in a fast-track college program at night (same work, less time), have a job, train, and am married with a young kid.
I feel your pain.
Here is what worked for me(in no particular order):
1) Bloodwork for any mineral deficiencies and supplement as needed. Zinc and Magnesium did wonders for me.
2) Make sure your sleep/circadian rhythm is dialed in and don't use Blue-light devices before bed. NSDR also helps. Check out the Huberman protocol.
3) Adjust your workout and meal times around your studies. I found that I would have certain predictable energy crashes around certain times (after meals, 3 hours after workouts, etc). I plan my training and eating in a way that gives me the best shot at a clear head. Tupperware and calisthenics are your friends.
4) As others said, eliminate anything that drains your energy or focus. This includes junk volume in workouts. Switch to a maintenance schedule until you finish your degree or focus on one skill/movement/body part at a time while leaving everything else in maintenance.
Use GTG.
5) It may seem cheesy but splashing cold water on your face and catnaps are game-changers.
6) Wim Hof cold shower protocols
7) Make sure you are hydrated. Worship XXXL water bottles. use electrolytes as needed.
Hope any of the above is useful.

 

[bluejeff]

Lots of great ideas here. I’ll add:

Simplify everything you can. Workouts, meals, clothing decisions, daily routines. The more simple and repetitive these daily choices, the less bandwidth and mental energy they consume during the day. The little stuff can add up. Options are not always good.

Keep workout volume and intensity low, because if your recovery needs are too high, that’s gonna fight for energy resources with your head.

Don’t be afraid of small bites and lots of breaks. Meaning, make your blocks of focus time reasonable — don’t shackle yourself for a 4 hour work block. Keep the focus blocks 45-90 min, whatever works for you, and take a decent break in between. Doing something active / physical during breaks. Try not to spend break on phone / screen. Move around. Grease the groove on something. Fast and loose drills are good here.

Watch out for / be aware of distractions of phone / technology. Lots of time and energy leaks here for people. Can lead to over stimulation when we’re already over stimulated / extended already.

Good luck!

Good reminders. I am finding that when I am stressed, my mind tends to wander and I end up doing things like checking internet forums ( ) instead of something I ought to be doing. *That said, I am done with school for the day as I write this*

I am in a fast-track college program at night (same work, less time), have a job, train, and am married with a young kid.
I feel your pain.
Here is what worked for me(in no particular order):
1) Bloodwork for any mineral deficiencies and supplement as needed. Zinc and Magnesium did wonders for me.
2) Make sure your sleep/circadian rhythm is dialed in and don't use Blue-light devices before bed. NSDR also helps. Check out the Huberman protocol.
3) Adjust your workout and meal times around your studies. I found that I would have certain predictable energy crashes around certain times (after meals, 3 hours after workouts, etc). I plan my training and eating in a way that gives me the best shot at a clear head. Tupperware and calisthenics are your friends.
4) As others said, eliminate anything that drains your energy or focus. This includes junk volume in workouts. Switch to a maintenance schedule until you finish your degree or focus on one skill/movement/body part at a time while leaving everything else in maintenance.
Use GTG.
5) It may seem cheesy but splashing cold water on your face and catnaps are game-changers.
6) Wim Hof cold shower protocols
7) Make sure you are hydrated. Worship XXXL water bottles. use electrolytes as needed.
Hope any of the above is useful.

Thanks! Cat naps (NSDR) help a ton. Also some good reminders to cut out any energy leaks.