Prime Your Noisy Mind

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I have a noisy mind—always on, always narrating. Striving, stressing, plotting. A buzzing mosquito only I can hear. As an introvert who tends to perfectionism, I spend a lot of time in my head—and it’s not always kind in there.

If that sounds familiar, you may recognize the pattern: lots of to-do’s but few ta-da’s. Small chores keep winning; meaningful work keeps waiting.

So, how do we quiet the noise and actually ship what matters? Author Nil Demircubuk’s new book, Down to Earth: Demystify Intuition to Upgrade Your Life, offers a practical roadmap for making clearer decisions and moving forward without waiting for perfect. This interview kicks off a series on tools from her approach—starting with a technique called “priming.”

NA: To start, what do you mean by priming, in plain language, in this context?

ND: Priming is calming the mind and emotions to tap into intuition. Research shows that intuition is more active and accurate in this relaxed state.

NA: What’s the core science behind priming, and how does it relate to attention, emotion, and decision-making?

ND: Bolte and colleagues found that participants solved word puzzles intuitively when they were primed to be in a positive mood. Ceci and Bronfenbrenner showed that children who failed in solving challenging visual puzzles as schoolwork relaxed and solved them intuitively when told it was just a fun game. Dijksterhuis and Nordgren’s unconscious thought theory paper demonstrated that participants made better intuitive choices when they were distracted and not allowed to consciously analyze their options.

NA: Many readers are introverts who also battle perfectionism. How can priming help them quiet self-critique and take a first step—without feeling phony or loud?

ND: Priming allows us to pause and assess how important achieving perfection really is. We can see where to conserve our resources and focus our efforts on what matters. After priming, our logical thinking can also contribute more clearly, without being influenced by fear of falling short of unreasonably high standards.

NA: What are simple ways to prime before visibility activities such as posting on LinkedIn, asking for an introduction, or presenting on Zoom?

ND: For some people, bringing their attention to their breath helps. You can do this by noticing it going in and out. When your attention shifts to other things, you can say to those distractions, “I am busy focusing on my breath and will tend to you later” or, in short ,"busy breathing" and come back to your breath.

Another way is to close your eyes and imagine that you are in a relaxing place such as a beach, or engaged in a relaxing activity such as a game or crafts. Go through all your senses. Imagine the colors, shapes, sounds, smells, or temperature to immerse yourself into that scene.

NA: I use meditation and long walks to get centered. Where do those practices fit with priming—complements, substitutes, or something else?

ND: Anything that helps you feel relaxed would work if you avoid ruminating about your question or problem, and constantly shift your attention back to your meditation or observing your body or what is around you when walking.

NA: What are common mistakes with priming (especially for perfectionists), and how can readers avoid them?

ND: Let’s say I am priming by focusing on my breath. If I become a perfectionist about this, I may judge the level of my attention and tense up. Instead, I assume the role of a kind observer, like a loving parent or a good teacher. When I notice my attention drifting, I gently tell those distractions, "busy breathing," then bring my attention back to my breath. Priming gets easier over time with practice as your ability to focus also improves.

NA: How could priming help someone move from stuck to shipped?

ND: One of my clients who valued loyalty worked in a team she loved, but her job had become too repetitive for her. She still hesitated to make any change. After a camping trip where she primed and tuned in, she was inspired to take a step. Her intuition said to look outside of her team. She realized that loyalty and connection could take many forms. She found a different role within the company and helped her manager recruit for her replacement. In her new role, she liaised between her old team and the new one, improving collaboration across the company.

NA: What prompted you to write Down to Earth, and what do you hope introverted readers change after reading it?

ND: My experiences, teachers, and books and scientific studies convinced me that intuition is a useful ability we all have and can improve with practice. It is like a friend that accompanies us throughout our lives, keeping track of everything we learn and experience, including those we forgot about. Intuition has access to vast amounts of data. It is wise to check in with this friend to access all that data. Down to Earth gives readers ways to explore and practice intuition intentionally and use it alongside their logic.

Intuition Essential Reads

The Intuition Trap

How to Invite Intuition

NA: Dear readers, you might leave this conversation with the same image I do: a quiet, always-on archive that remembers what you consciously forget and can still guide you. If your mind is loud, you’re not broken; you’re busy. When you settle the surface noise, you can reach and use the deeper stacks.

Priming gives that busy mind a job so your better judgment can surface; it can help you index that information. Rather than allowing perfection to get the best of you, you get to access your best. Thanks to Nil, you may want to pause, take a conscious breath, and remind yourself to give that rich archive a clear channel for a minute; then, run it through the filter of your logic and ship one small thing.

Next in this series—where Down to Earth meets my work on visibility for introverts—we’ll explore workday-friendly ways to regain calm when your mind is loud, so presence, momentum, and results can grow. Also in the series: intuition about people, through an introvert’s lens.