Moments of fatigue or work overload can leave anyone feeling scattered. Forgetting minor tasks, or leaving home unsure if you turned off the stove or unplugged the straightener, is a common experience. Fortunately, a simple method from Japan, honed for industrial safety, offers a powerful tool to combat these lapses: Shisa Kanko.
What Is the Shisa Kanko Method?
Translated as “point and call,” Shisa Kanko is a practice designed to enhance vigilance and accuracy. It was developed to ensure safety within the Japanese railway network. “Train operators are trained to focus on an object, such as a signal or a stop point, point at it with their finger, and verbally name that object,” explains licensed therapist Joy Gallon.
The effectiveness is backed by data. A 1994 study by the Japanese Railway Technical Research Institute found that using Shisa Kanko reduced incidents caused by human error by nearly 85%. The practice works by actively engaging multiple senses. “Because this practice uses the eyes, hands, mouth, and ears, it actively engages the senses,” says Gallon. “Studies have shown it increases blood flow to the frontal lobes, which house our reasoning, logic, and ability to anticipate future consequences of our current actions.”
The Science Behind Pointing and Naming
Psychologist Rachael Bloom breaks down the cognitive mechanism. “The brain has to see something, say something, and do something; so we are using our visual system, our motor system, and our auditory system,” she notes. “This reduces errors because if one of those systems fails, there are two back-up systems that have the same information.”
This approach works just as well for mundane, routine tasks as for high-risk operations. We often perform habitual actions on autopilot to conserve mental energy, which means we don’t encode the memory as clearly. “Introducing an action that is outside of default mode can help you remember it: making a strange sound, snapping your fingers, singing a song…” suggests psychologist Anna Dearmon Kornick.
Applying Shisa Kanko in Daily Life
Integrating the spirit of this method into your routine can be straightforward. Simple actions when leaving home can include:
- Pointing at the door lock and saying, “I locked the door.”
- Pointing at the light switch and stating, “I turned off the lights.”
- Pointing at your keys and wallet while naming them to ensure you have them.
The technique also serves as a tool for recentering during stress. Productivity coach Rachel Isip recommends using it when feeling overwhelmed. “You probably already use a form of this technique in your daily life to help refocus your attention and balance your thoughts,” she says. This could be saying phrases like, “Take a deep breath and relax,” or “Okay, where were we?”
Isip suggests using Shisa Kanko to confirm and anchor habits or information:
- When starting or ending your workday.
- During transitions between tasks.
- To verify appointment details.
- To motivate action, by saying aloud, “Time to start working,” or “Let’s go for a good workout!”
A Crucial Caveat: Avoid Automation
Experts warn against letting the practice itself become routine. If the unique action you introduce becomes too repetitive, it loses its effectiveness. “If you start singing the same song, doing the same finger snaps, or making the same weird sound every time, that sound will eventually become part of your default experience,” cautions Dearmon Kornick. “You won’t remember whether you did it or not because you always do it.” The key is to maintain conscious engagement, using the method to pull you into the present moment and solidify memory through multi-sensory confirmation.
