Mattias Ribbing - Lecture summary
Screen-smart – new tools for well-being in connection to social media

Mattias Ribbing is a ‘Grandmaster of memory’. He’s a Swedish memory-champion, author of 5 books about ‘brain and learning’. He was driven by own laziness, to find the best possible strategies of using the brain to full capacity.

This lecture will take us on an adventure into the brain. He will inform us about

• tools to use immediately

• how to cooperate better with brain

• how to succeed better in school

• how to have loads of energy left to put in fun stuff

• how to use social media in a good way

People have to wonder: ‘Do I want to succeed in school and skip the fun things happening?’ Of course the answer should be ‘no’.

When you apply smart tools, both will be a success.

Keywords are focus and flexibility, which will bring you lots of new energy. Somehow you’ll be in an information rain.

Each human being has a funnel at our service: we catch some information, but not everything. Moving the funnel is exhausting. You can’t do it while fully focused.

Strategy to get more energy -> focussing on 1 thing only. That way you will gain more energy.

Practical tool: a 1 point to-do list

• use to do lists -> before you sit down, formulate 1 task in 1 sentence of what you have to do

• write it down on post-it notes

• put it up where you’re sitting

• then focus

• even when funnel hits you, you can get back to the main thing you’re doing

result: you won’t get tired, you will stay focused and regain your energy immediately

How to ‘have more time’ in 1 day

• set sharp deadlines

• use the method of Pomodoro (which is a hidden treasure):

  • when you have an important deadline, you take a timer, set it for 25 minutes, no more no less

  • start the timer

  • work on the task without distractions

  • clock rings, immediately stop what you’re doing, don’t finish, you take a forced break

• when you start again, you seem to be focused immediately, it changes everything. 

• 25-5-25-5-25-5-25 and then a 15 min break -> you will be surprised, because you don’t get tired

• use a logbook -> how many sessions have you done?

After a while you’ll see how efficient you worked. Perception of time has changed.

Pomodoro method works with boring things as well, not only the things that interest you.

You set your brain some new rules, your brain will like it.