Recent research by Emily Pronin et al has confirmed that thinking quicker can have a positive impact on your mood and leave you feeling more energised. I have found exactly the same effect in my speed thinking sessions. Both I and the people in my workshop have this great burst of energy where anything seems possible.

I mention this finding in the context of a gloomy and uncertain world. If you work in business no doubt you have been impacted by the recent downturn, job security is a thing of the past, people are feeling stressed and overworked. It might be that you have lost your job or someone close to you has lost theirs. Whatever the situation, you can be excused for feeling a bit down at the moment.

But if this feeling continues and your thoughts slow down, you cannot make a decision or you feel stuck then perhaps you should seek help. Depression is a relentless and continuous illness that can be treated. I am not a psychologist or therapist so please bear this in mind but perhaps the concept and practice of Speed Thinking may be able to help you.

A friend of ours suffers from depression and has recently been using speed thinking to help him cope with this illness. This was a surprise to me when he first discussed it with me last week. After thinking about this for a while it does make perfect sense. He reports that using speed thinking gives him a feeling of accomplishment. It means that he can make quick decisions that he feels good about and in a sense gets him going.

Fred (not his real name) talked to me about creating a positive reinforcement cycle in his life. By this he means that speed thinking enables him to make a decision or solve a problem or create a new idea (to start in my language). Thinking quickly made him feel good immediately (as per Pronin’s work) and he could see the result of what he was doing (e.g. he would meet his girlfriend for a surprise lunch) which made him feel better and more in control of his life and a greater sense of achievement.

Fred uses speed thinking for the smaller things in his life but he feels that this gives him momentum and confidence to tackle the bigger things.

I did not initially design speed thinking for use in the treatment of depression but perhaps (as in Fred’s case) it can help certain people deal with this illness and lead more productive and fulfilling lives.

I would love to hear from you if this resonates with you or if you have used speed thinking to help in these types of situations.

Ken Hudson