“ Pay attention. It’s all about attention. Attention is vitality, it helps you connect with others and it enlightens you ,” said the American writer Susan Sontag.
However, this is not actually a new idea. For thousands of years, Buddhism has been referring to the importance of mindfulness as one of the paths to wisdom and well-being.
Mindfulness is the ability to focus on both the world and our inner universe, it is the ability to be fully present and focused on the here and now. Put this way, it seems like a very simple concept but in reality it is a very difficult skill to put into practice since we all pay attention to a certain extent.
For example, if you decide to go for a walk and focus on the scenery around you, it is likely that your mind will soon be distracted by thinking about the future, remembering some event from the past or fantasizing. In fact, it happens to us even while we are having a conversation and someone reminds us of a particular situation, at which point our mind abandons the conversation and takes another course.
In everyday life, lack of attention becomes a chronic problem, although most people do not realize it since it is “normal” to eat while watching television or send messages while spending time with their partner, friends or family.
The dangers of distractions
The society we live in moves at a dizzying pace and we run after it, trying to adapt. However, in this race to nowhere, distractions invade us, making us forget to enjoy the journey. When we try to pay attention to each new stimulus that is presented to us, we lose concentration and, above all, we stop appreciating the details.
In this way, we stop enjoying life, we lose our way and we move further and further away from happiness. It is therefore not surprising that problems such as depression, hopelessness and lack of motivation are becoming more and more frequent . The inability to concentrate on the here and now, to put mindfulness into practice, is also one of the causes underlying many psychological problems.
Moreover, lack of attention not only harms our performance and affects our psychological well-being, but it also prevents us from connecting with people. When we are too busy with other things, when we do not focus on caring for and nurturing the relationship, it deteriorates and becomes superficial.
How to concentrate? The art of learning to eat an orange
1. Take a break. It may seem like a strange tip, but to improve your concentration, the first step is to stop paying attention, take a break from most of the stimuli that constantly invade you, and be alone with yourself. This way, you will be able to find focus again.
2. Break up your activities. Most people can focus on a task for an average of 20 minutes. Find the time you can really concentrate and then take a break. This will help you recharge your batteries and come back to the activity with renewed energy. Set yourself small tasks in certain blocks of time, and you’ll also notice that you’re making progress, which is very motivating and will further boost your focus.
3. Use the environment to your advantage. Some people need silence to concentrate, others prefer to play background music, and there are even those who claim to concentrate better in a crowded bar than at home. It’s about finding the environment that enhances concentration and creating all the necessary conditions for you to feel comfortable.
4. Forget about multitasking. You may be able to do two things at once and get modest results, but you’ll only be putting unnecessary strain and effort on yourself by doing so. Plus, doing just one thing at a time will not only help you focus, but also get better results, finish faster, and enjoy the journey.
5. Learn to deal with interruptions. Throughout the day, there are many interruptions that become real black holes through which not only time but also energy escape. In these cases, apply the 3-minute rule. If you can do the task in a short time, tackle it; if not, write it down and move on. Remember that the danger of interruptions is that they affect the pace of work and later, it will be very difficult to get back to it.
6. Immerse yourself in nature. A walk in a natural environment can boost our memory and attention. However, to take advantage of these benefits, it is advisable to learn to immerse yourself in nature, without technology. You should undertake the walk with the eyes of a small child, attentive to every detail and sound, because at every turn of the path there is some wonder to discover.
7. Breathe. Breathing helps us synchronize all the functions of our body and greatly enhances mindfulness. When you breathe deeply and focus simply on the movements of inhalation and exhalation, you come into close contact with your “I” and become aware of your body. So, when you can’t find concentration, take a few minutes and breathe.
8. Find the flow state. You can force your attention towards activities that don’t interest you, but in the long run, the period of time for which you can concentrate will be short. Therefore, the ideal is to find the flow state, an experience in which you are completely absorbed in the activity and disconnect from distractions. The key is to propose more motivating activities, things that really interest you and allow you to grow.
9. Choose distractions wisely. Our minds are always aware of everything that is going on around us, but that doesn’t mean that all stimuli can become distractions that divert our attention. For example, a noise can distract you. However, you can decide whether the noise bothers you or not. If you get angry about the noise, then it will become a distraction. On the contrary, if you breathe and say “I hear the noise but it doesn’t bother me, I calmly go back to what I was doing ”, you will considerably reduce its negative effect on your concentration.
10. Enjoy the here and now. This is a skill we had as children but have lost. However, to improve concentration and our psychological well-being, it is essential that we learn to focus on the present moment. Imagine that you have an orange in your hand. You can eat it while thinking about other things, while talking to someone or while watching television. However, you can also look at it, appreciate its texture and smell and eat it slowly. The experience will be completely different.
Remember that mindfulness is a very valuable tool that helps us to know ourselves better and to know the world and the people around us better. Don’t let the rush and the hectic pace of everyday life take away that ability from you.
Leave a Reply