The world has changed a lot in the recent years. We are all living the busy life. If we are not running late to somewhere, it’s because we are already there. And even though we tell ourselves that being busy and doing stuff all day increases our productivity, over time, we start to lose our ability to focus. But when you get some “me time,” we just use it to stream a movie, check out Twitter, or Instagram. There is not a moment when we just sit back and do nothing. It is this sort of behavior that is affecting our ability to focus and while this author is not saying that we should stop, it’s just that at some point we need a break and we should live in the moment. Sounds a little bit strange in these modern times, right? Well, it’s actually something you can learn. It starts with meditation. Experts argue that meditation helps us to be present in our surrounding. We connect with ourselves better and know exactly how we feel.
This helps us to have more options of response to what we are going through. Take this, for example; let’s say you are always stressed from morning to evening. That is the only thing your mind knows. Unless you teach it how to be calm and collected, it won’t be able to recall that feeling. Meditation helps you to do this. It’s about taking a mental pause every day. But in the world we live in, this might be more difficult than it seems. There are so many distractions. The smartphone in your pocket, for example, is a huge distraction. Every time you try to focus your brain, there is a notification or an email that pops in, and you stop everything else to check it out.
This takes away your ability to focus. If you want to give your brain a pause even if it’s only for a few minutes, you need to either put your gadgets away or shut them off. The second thing is to de-clutter your mind. If you are always thinking about many things at the same time, you are putting yourself under unnecessary stress. Try and focus on one thing at a time. You also need to focus on your food. Don’t eat because you have to. A nice breakfast or lunch is not just something to fill up on. You should savor every bite and feel the slow delicate sensation of everything you eat. Food has a way of slowing you down and that is exactly what you need, especially if you are always busy. So don’t pass on the lunch break because you want to work some more. Shut off the brain for once and focus on your food.
It is also best to work on improving your focus. This columnist uses one trick and it’s an easy one. Let’s say I am working and something totally unrelated pops up in my mind. Instead of looking it up straight away, I note it down on my notebook for later. I can then continue with my work. Finally, you have to reduce stress. Your brain is strong but you still need to give it a rest. In addition to this, always start your day with something inspiring. It could be a great book or a great message from someone. Always start your day off on the right foot.
