Attention is a muscle.
What do I mean by this, “attention is a muscle?” Well, attention is something that can be trained and strengthened. It can also weaken if not used, just like muscles! I don’t know about you, but I find that relieving. In our modern world where so many things steal our attention, it can feel overwhelming to focus on what you need to. Good news is you can train your attention in a way that makes your life not so hard. Just like a muscle though, strengthening your attention happens on the edge of discomfort. Lifting one pound weights won’t hurt your muscles, however you must progressively overload and challenge the muscles for them to actually grow. It’s uncomfortable. You also don’t want to over train your muscles either because that can cause them to over fatigue inhibiting growth, attention is the same. So we are looking for that sweet spot where you are challenging yourself, but not too much.
Ok, so you might be wondering, “how do I train my attention muscle?” Let me tell you! Just like your muscles, you train your attention by activating it. Any mindfulness practice is inherently an attention practice. So it’s dealer choice. You might take a mindful walk, practice body awareness during a workout or dance class, mindfully eat (meaning no distractions/tv), or meditate. I’m a big fan of “microdosing meditation,” meaning small 3 minute meditation sessions to help reset and corral the mind. You can fit multiple microdosing sessions into the day! Movement has also been shown to be on par with stimulants for attention! Any movement that gets the body and blood flowing will do just fine, so just pick what you will actually do. It can be simple, like doing some squats, pushups, or jumping jacks if you’re struggling to focus in the moment, as well as, using all forms as ongoing support for strengthening the attention muscle. It’s also important to discuss how we weaken our attention muscle and boy are there a lot of ways to do that. Multitasking is really bad for our attention muscle. It also fatigues the brain and your ability to make decisions. So stick with with one thing at a time. Scrolling social media or excessive screen time can dilute your attention. Lack of sleep and poor/not enough nutrition prevent your brain from having the energy for attention. Too much caffeine can actually hinder your attention as well, speeding your brain and body up too much. In short, set boundaries for yourself around the behaviors that rob you of your attention and practice strengthening that attention muscle!
Questions to ponder.
What behaviors do you have that might be weakening your attention?
What behaviors do you want to practice to strengthen your attention?
How do you plan to implement both of these changes in a realistic way?
