Here's Why Your Brain Feels Slower Lately...

Let’s be honest;

The world doesn’t want you to think deeply anymore.

I mean, think for a moment.

• You wake up to notifications.

• You scroll through other people’s opinions before you’ve even formed your own.

• You watch 7-second videos that leave no residue; just the urge to click the next.

And suddenly, your brain isn’t yours anymore. It’s a collage of other people’s voices, each getting louder, clearer, and more urgent than yours.

What used to be your quiet inner compass earlier, now feels like a weak signal in a noisy room.

And maybe that’s why you feel scattered. Or uncertain. Or easily influenced. Not because you’re unintelligent. But because you haven’t had the space to think for yourself in a while.

So what’s really going wrong?

 

Before we go any further, let me first share with you something.

Whatever is happening, It’s not entirely your fault.

But some of it is your responsibility.

Not in a shameful way, but in a way that calls for your awareness.

See, the point is simple.

You’re not “falling behind.”

You’re just mentally exhausted.

Because, most of us were never taught how to pause, process, or protect our thinking in a world that rewards reaction.

And if we go deeper, here’s what you would notice in yourself and people around you:

❌ We’ve replaced reflection with reaction

❌ Everything is fast. So we assume everything should be easy.

❌ We stopped having hard conversations.

And honestly, this list can go on and on.

But, by choosing any of the above, even unconsciously, you are doing more harm than good.

So, I paused. Took a long, hard look at what was happening to my own mind, did some deep research, and thought I’d share what I found as a roadmap for rebuilding my own critical thinking muscle.

Now mind you, this isn’t a productivity hack.

It’s a slow, intentional return to yourself, and this is very new to me too

But instead of waiting till the end result, here’s what’s helping me and maybe what will help you too:

➡️ One idea. One hour. No distractions: Lately, I have started picking up a topic I care about and just think. All I have is a notebook beside me. No podcast. No feed.

And whatever comes to my mind, I keep writing it down. That’s it. Trust me, some of my best clarity has come from staring at a wall and scribbling badly. Just give it a try and you will understand what I am talking about.

➡️ Consume slow content: When I say slow content, I mean long-form essays, documentaries, and books that make me re-read pages. Basically, content that you cannot consume in under a minute. Simple.

What happens is whenever I am in my slow content mode, I tend to come across content that makes me critically think about a scenario, maybe even question my belief and no one likes that. But instead of letting that uncomfortableness overpower me; I let those questions prove me to think, and keep thinking until I have reached a conclusion. Trust me, it’s not that difficult.

➡️ I ask myself “What do you think?” before I continue consuming: Before I Google something, I write down my current opinion. Then I let the research expand my thoughts, not replace my thoughts. Even if I am wrong, I simply don’t stop trying the next time.

➡️ Relearn debating without aggression: See, debate is first and foremost never about aggression so keep it aside. Debate is about putting your point out there and that cannot happen if you don’t have any point in the first place. That’s why I am relearning debating with people I trust. Without trying to win. Just to remember what it feels like to hold a thought fully. That’s all.

Now, before you go,

Here is something I want you to take back with you.

You haven’t lost your critical thinking.

It’s still there, underneath the noise.

But maybe it just needs more oxygen and less input.

So, let it breathe a little.

And reply and share with me; when was the last time you truly sat with your own opinion?