Mindful Attention
We live in an age of distraction. Our lives are busy, we play many roles and juggle countless tasks. It gets hard to keep track of it all and multitasking starts to feel like the only option. It becomes more of a struggle to keep our attention on the present moment. Whenever our minds begin to wander, we have limitless ways to distract ourselves. Boundless information, ideas, and entertainment compete for our time. The more we engage in these patterns of wandering attention, the more deeply ingrained they become. Distraction makes it difficult to focus on the things we care about. Our minds feel muddled and overwhelmed. We are less present with our relationships and the things that bring us joy. It gets harder to take care of ourselves and pay attention to what our bodies need. Our busy minds make it difficult to find rest, peace and sleep. And the more stressed and fatigued we become, the more difficult it is to focus.
Our attention will wander, this is part of life. Mindfulness is the practice of bringing ourselves back to the present moment. Each time we find ourselves getting caught up in our thoughts or reaching for our phones for one more dopamine hit, all we must do is notice that we have wandered and come back. Come back to the task at hand, come back to ourselves, come back to the present moment. It’s not about judging ourselves for losing focus, we always will. It’s just about kindly and compassionately returning to the here and now. When we give each task, each relationship, and each moment our full attention, we allow ourselves to be fully immersed in our life as it is happening. All we ever have is the present moment. We lose so much when our brains are two steps ahead or when we seek distraction every time we get uncomfortable. Mindfulness is a powerful tool at managing stress and cultivating emotional regulation. It increases self-awareness and improves our health. It benefits our relationships and leads to greater wellness and fulfillment in life. All we have to do is return our attention, again and again, to the here and now.
Cultivating mindfulness is one of the most beneficial things we can do for our mental health. But staying present isn’t always easy. Life can be difficult. The more we learn to use distraction to escape the stressors of the present moment, the harder it becomes to sit with boredom, frustration, or negative emotions without zoning out. But this type of distraction only postpones our pain. By learning to non-judgementally accept even the messy parts of ourselves and our lives, we learn that we do not need to escape. This isn’t always going to be possible, especially when things are very difficult or we feel overwhelmed. But it is only when we give these parts of life our attention that we can begin to heal. When we practice sitting with difficult experiences, we learn to see the complexity of all things. Negative emotions pass, life can be bitter and sweet at the same time. And we can give our loving attention to all of it.
There are so many ways we can add mindfulness practice to our lives. Each moment is an opportunity to practice. When you notice your attention wandering, find an anchor in the present moment. This could be the task at hand or a physical object in your space. The breath is one of the most powerful anchors, simply pay attention to the way it moves through your body, in and out. Any other physical sensations can also be effective. This could mean noticing what each of your five senses are experiencing in the moment, such as identifying five things you can see, four you can feel, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. You could also do a body scan, noticing the sensations in each part of your body from top to bottom or bottom to top. Progressive muscle relaxation is particularly helpful, tensing and releasing each muscle in the body starting with your feet and ending with your face. Any form of meditation helps build up our mindfulness. This could include traditional meditation, walking meditations, visualizations, or mindful eating. The more you practice, the more naturally it comes. So try and see what helps you reconnect with yourself and with the present moment.
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