Whats all this about Mental Bandwidth?! | Handy Blog http://blog.handy.

com/whats-all-this-about-mental-bandwidth/

HOME > WHATS ALL THIS ABOUT MENTAL BANDWIDTH?!

Published October 14th, 2014 by Handybook Team

Whats all this about Mental Band-

width?!
Image credit: Allan Ajifo

At Handy were in the business of helping you make the most

of your time! Theres a whole lot of buzz at the moment
around the idea of mental bandwidth, and how we can make
the most of it. Today were investigating how your Free Time
aects your mental bandwidth, and we looked to Forbes
Technology Writer, Amit Chowdhry for some insight

Mental Bandwidth And You

So what is mental bandwidth? Basically, this is dened as your

1 of 6 5/13/16, 7:58 PM
Whats all this about Mental Bandwidth?! | Handy Blog http://blog.handy.com/whats-all-this-about-mental-bandwidth/

capacity for work how much can you take on before you
start running out of steam?

If youve ever felt overwhelmed like there isnt enough time

in the day to accomplish everything you want then you know
exactly what it feels like to exceed your mental bandwidth.
Your focus is shot, your decision-making abilities go out the
window, and a list of unnished projects begins to pile up. So
just where does your Free Time t in to this?

Too Much Free Time On

Your Hands
Believe it or not, having too much free time can be just as bad
for your bandwidth as not having enough.

What you do in your free time is every bit as important as how

much free time you have. While down time is denitely im-
portant, you need to make sure you arent doing anything too
mindless during it.

I catch myself spending a lot of time using Facebook or par-

ticipating in irrelevant conversations while at work, explains
Chowdhry in his Forbes article. When I realize that I am not
working on something productive, I mentally scold myself and
get back to the grindI reward myself when completing some-
thing crucial by doing things like stepping away from my desk
to read a book or grabbing a coee with a friend.

In short, dont just waste time sitting in front of a TV or whiling

away hours playing Candy Crush do something thats both
relaxing and fullling. No need to cut out those hobbies alto-
gether, you just need to exercise moderation; otherwise, the
downtime thats supposed to help you recharge could simply
leave you feeling even more burnt out than before.

Dont get me wrong, adds Chowdhry, its important to veg

2 of 6 5/13/16, 7:58 PM
Whats all this about Mental Bandwidth?! | Handy Blog http://blog.handy.com/whats-all-this-about-mental-bandwidth/

and wind down, but you may want to learn to pace yourself.

It all adds up
There are many factors which have an impact on your mental
bandwidth it isnt just how much work you take on. How well
you eat, how much sleep you get, how much you enjoy what
youre doing, and as Chowdhry points out, what you do in
your free time, is just as important.

Tweet Share Like 7

Previous Post Next

6 Handy Tips To Help You London Pros Party!
Spend Less Time On House-
work

" L IF E A T HA N D Y

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

3 of 6 5/13/16, 7:58 PM
Whats all this about Mental Bandwidth?! | Handy Blog http://blog.handy.com/whats-all-this-about-mental-bandwidth/

A
ABBO
OUUTT H
HAAN
NDDYY

Handy makes it easy to get things done around the house. Book cleaning &
handyman services in seconds!

Click below to explore our services:

Cleaning Services

Handyman Services

Engineering Blog

4 of 6 5/13/16, 7:58 PM
Whats all this about Mental Bandwidth?! | Handy Blog http://blog.handy.com/whats-all-this-about-mental-bandwidth/

R
REEC
CEEN
NTT PPO
OSSTTSS

How To Choose The Best Blinds For You

5 Ways to Use Wallpaper

Home Lighting to Calm Your Mood

10 Home Theaters That Will Have You Looking Forward To Movie Night

FFO
OLLLLO
OWWU
USS O
ONN SSO
OCCIIA
ALL M
MEED
DIIA
A

# $ + & '

SSEEA
ARRC
CHH PPO
OSSTTSS

Search...

Go

5 of 6 5/13/16, 7:58 PM
Whats all this about Mental Bandwidth?! | Handy Blog http://blog.handy.com/whats-all-this-about-mental-bandwidth/

Cleaning Services Handyman Services Engineering Blog

Sign up for our email newsletters

Enter email

Submit

6 of 6 5/13/16, 7:58 PM