5 Cognitive Hacks That Transformed My Thinking as a Psychology Student

If there's one thing I’ve learned from self-studying, it’s that thinking isn’t only about effort. It’s about balance, finding rhythm, structure, and, surprisingly, the power of stepping back. Early on, I found myself wrestling with abstract concepts, trying to stretch my mind to its limits in search of clarity. But I quickly realized that those "aha" moments don’t happen by staring at textbooks for hours, hoping inspiration will strike.

Through trial and error, I developed a method that actually works, based not only on intuition but also grounded in psychological principles. These five strategies have become essential in how I approach studying, problem-solving, and creative thinking.

1. Flood the System

This is where I begin. I pick a question, something thorny enough to matter, and commit to 30 minutes of uninterrupted cognitive flooding. No tabs. No messages. Just a deliberate deluge of thought, notes, and references. It’s painful at first. But it forces the brain to start building connections, even if they're fuzzy. Hamming (yes, the mathematician) swore by this. So does John Bos, whose lab has shown that prolonged focus pushes our cognitive networks into high gear. I think of it like saturating a sponge... once full, even the lightest squeeze yields something useful.

2. Walk Away (On Purpose)

Once my brain is full, I leave it alone. Sometimes I fold laundry. Other times I just go for a walk around or bike through Parks. I used to feel guilty doing this, shouldn’t I be working? But research into the brain’s Default Mode Network suggests that insight often strikes when we’re not actively seeking it. Bos’s studies show our subconscious keeps processing long after we step away. So now I let it.

3. Use Sleep Strategically

We treat sleep like a luxury, but it's a cognitive tool. Before I sleep, I bring the core problem back into focus, just for a minute or two. No distractions, no TikTok vortex. I let it sit. Hamming used to do this religiously, and sleep research supports it, the consolidation that occurs during REM can lead to more coherent, creative solutions. I’ve woken up with whole essay structures in my head before. It doesn’t happen every time. But often enough that I don’t risk going to sleep without giving my brain a prompt.

4. Catch the Flash

Insight rarely arrives during the "thinking" bit. It shows up unannounced, while brushing my teeth or making coffee. The mistake is assuming you’ll remember it. You won’t. Cognitive psychology calls this a retrieval failure. I call it,  gone forever. So I jot everything down. Always. My note book is full of half-sentences that later become arguments. In those flashes, the subconscious finally surfaces, and you need to grab what it gives you.

5. Trust the Quiet Work

This is the hardest, especially here where achievement is loud and visible. But I’ve learned to honor the subtle signs... a sentence that feels less clunky than yesterday. A reference that suddenly clicks. These aren’t fireworks, they’re footnotes of progress. Psychology tells us we often misjudge our own cognitive growth in the moment. Insight doesn’t always shout. Sometimes, it just hums.


Final Thoughts

Thinking is layered. It’s not about constant output; it’s about structuring your input, stepping back at the right moments, and trusting your brain to do what it’s built for, even when you don’t feel it happening.

Studying may be relentless, but it’s also a playground for the mind. These tools help me manage the pressure, the pace, and, most importantly, the process.



Pic by @ravaluh


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How I found my voice in environmental journalism

Image
It was four years ago when I first began to witness the global environmental situation up close, and it has shaped the course of my life ever since. Now, at 20 years old, I look back on that evening with gratitude. It was a sunny day, and the sky had a warm, yellowish hue. I had been given the opportunity to compere the year-end award ceremony for The Pearl Protectors, a marine conservation organization I had become involved with. The event was on the beach, unlike typical award ceremonies. The sea breeze cooled the evening air, and I could taste the salt on my lips. My hair was messy, but the people around me made me feel comfortable, as if that didn't matter at all. The atmosphere was welcoming, thanks in no small part to Muditha Ayya (Muditha Kaduwawala), the coordinator of Pearl Protectors, who reassured me, saying, "This is a chill event. Just speak like you're talking to your friends. Don’t worry."  Despite his calming words, I was nervous, paralyzed by fear. I ...
Read more

I Wonder

Image
I wonder... Can a woman in her 30s, unmarried and relentless, carve a space for herself in the world of architecture without losing pieces of who she is? You design skylines, draft blueprints of possibility, but where do you belong in the grand structure of life? You search for a soulmate in fleeting glances, in the way someone remembers your coffee order, in the silence that lingers just long enough to feel like home. But when they see the depth of your moods, the weight of your family’s history - do they stay? Can anyone truly hold space for the raw, unfiltered presence of your father, the past that shaped you? Maybe not. Maybe some will walk away. But love is not dead. Love is the quiet arrival in the middle of the storm. It’s the arms that hold you without needing explanations, the presence that doesn’t retreat when faced with your most unguarded reality. Love is not a promise of forever...it is the courage to stand still in the moment, without fear, without conditions. Piku...
Read more

My Reflections from COP16 Colombia🌴(October 21 - November 1, 2024)

Image
Why Colombia? That was the first thought that hit me when I heard that this year’s COP16 is happening in Santiago de Cali. I mean, come on—I do remember! How could I forget the giant statue of Jesus that pops up in so many films? And let’s not overlook the Serranía de Chiribiquete, that stunning UNESCO World Heritage site - VERY - mind - blowing ! So, I dove deep into inter-net and quickly I started to realize - why Colombia is known as a biodiversity paradise. It’s home to jaw-dropping wildlife like the Andean condor, gliding high above the mountains, and the secretive jaguar, lurking in the lush Amazonian forests. With over a thousand bird species—think colorful keel-billed toucans and the rare Santa Marta parakeet, which you can’t find anywhere else—and around 4,000 types of orchids (my grandmother’s absolute favorite!), including the national flower, Cattleya trianae, Colombia’s natural beauty is truly one-of-a-kind. But it doesn’t stop there. More than half of Colombia is blankete...
Read more