Hard to think while looking at the screen
In my experience, looking at a monitor made it difficult for me to connect ideas. Instead, walking helped me integrate ideas and spark new ones.
After using the (Digital) Zettelkasten for about three years, I realized that when I looked at the monitor and tried to structure my existing ideas, my mind would become dizzy and I couldn't think straight. Then, when I simply turned off the computer and sat there blankly, looking at the scenery, or taking a walk, the ideas I'd written in Zettelkasten would naturally come to mind and come together.
From my observations, I found that the brighter the monitor, the more difficult it was for me to think. The darker the monitor, the better my thinking. There were also times when I was able to think effectively while typing. In those instances, my eyes were on the monitor, but my mind seemed to be in some space inside my head. It's as if I'm looking into some inner space.
I want to be able to generate, integrate, and connect ideas in the Zettelkasten, just like when I'm walking or without a digital screen, but I feel like something's not working. Has anyone found a solution to this?
P.S. I looked it up and found the concepts of divergent thinking and convergent thinking, but I'm not sure if they're relevant to the problem I'm facing.
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That's normal exhaustion. The brain can only focus for some time before it needs a rest.
That's normal rest. Your brain switches to a different mode. It activates the default mode network. Your examples are very common. Staring blankly with a soft gaze and doing nothing. Looking at nature or being in nature. Walking.
I enjoyed reading Joseph Jebelli's The brain at rest (2025) as an overview of the psychology of doing nothing.
That reminds me of the legendary flow state. But it could also be your exhausted brain switching to default mode by ignoring what's going on outside your head. It requires some practice to tell them apart.
There's also the question what you mean by effective. Effective in producing notes? Or effective in learning a skill? These are two very different goals.
Short answer: you can't.
There's a simple solution. Take breaks. A classic method is Francesco Cirillo's Pomodoro Technique. 25 minutes focused thinking, then 5 minutes doing something very different or nothing at all.
The (simplified) psychology is that you have two modes of thinking. You can't mix them. Your brain is either in one mode or the other. You need both modes, if you want to learn effectively.
Some people can stay focused for a long time because they are in flow state. But they still need a break to let the other part of their brain do its part. Some people are in a state of hyperfocus, where they find it difficult to leave flow and take a break, even if their brain needs it.
Another aspect are questions like: how do you work with Zettelkasten, what do you actually mean by Zettelkasten and why do you want to use a Zettelkasten at all. For example if I wanted to learn undergraduate math, I wouldn't use Zettelkasten. I'd learn about learning techniques. What works in general? What works in particular for math?
Those terms describe something else, but they are related to what you're looking for.
For starters I recommend the book Learning how to learn (2018) by Barbara Oakley and Terrence Sejnowski. They distinguish between focused mode and diffuse mode. Soundbites from the book:
The book is an easy read, because it's written for high school students and their parents. If you need more detail you could also get Oakley's A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (2014).
There are many other books out there that explain evidence based learning techniques and the psychology of learning. Oakley is a good introduction to foundational concepts like those two modes of thinking.
Regarding screen brightness, have you tried using dark mode in your apps, or in your settings in general?
Here's my Obsidian app:
I originally got into dark mode because of eye strain, but I found my general concentration and productivity to be way better.
Also, taking mini-breaks helps. I often get up from my desk to just 'meander' and think for a couple of minutes, and that helps me to have perspective on whatever I was working on. It doesn't have to be a full walk somewhere.
This is somewhat different approach to what you described above, but have you tried different kinds of monitors? When I became ill with an autoimmune disease I started to notice that most of the LED screens made my brain feel dizzy, sometimes even completely blocking ability to form meaningful thoughts. Dimming the brightness helped a little but the real relief came from finding the right monitor - which in my case is Macbook's screen. In some way, either the frequency of the light it produces or its refresh rate differs from other types of screens.
While we are covering health and ergonomic issues: some people get tired, because they don't wear the right prescription glasses. 👓
Yes - this is true for me. I have a special set of glasses whose prescription exactly matches what I need for the distance between my eyes and my monitor. But adjusting the brightness also helps.