Positively Mindful
  • Home
  • About
  • GROUPS
  • Workplace
  • Coaching
  • BOOKING
  • Blog
  • Home
  • About
  • GROUPS
  • Workplace
  • Coaching
  • BOOKING
  • Blog

Blog! Seize the day, then let it go 

Overstimulation - The reason you struggle to focus

16/9/2020

0 Comments

 
It's 7:00 am and as I wake up I habitually reach for my phone.  Do you do the same?

I notice. I stop. I take a breath and make a decision - not today. Today I will connect with what is important, what is real and I'll take my sweet time about it. I'll leave the smartphone off for a bit. 

I have realised for myself (and for many of my clients), that the overstimulation from smartphones, TV, advertising, fast-paced movies and click bait is one of the key reasons that we struggle to focus. Rather than go into the science (which you can find here or a video) I'd like to offer you some experiential learning. It'll take 5 minutes.

(Here is my short video to guide you)
Go sit in stillness for 3 minutes.
Tune into your bodily sensations as you take five deep in-breaths, through the nose, into a soft belly, letting out five long and smooth out breaths through an open mouth, allowing a sound (like the ocean). Close your eyes. 

Notice how it all feels. 
Yes your mind will be buzzing still, and that's ok. Keep breathing and refocusing on sensations, relaxing your face and smiling a little, if you like. Count your breath for the remainder of the time as you feel the body. 1 (in), 2 (out)... Restart after 10  counts. (5 breaths total). 

Relaxation Response - Tuning in.
This is what I call 'Relaxation Response'. It settles your nervous system and helps you connect to what is real. Notice how it is at least 10% more peaceful and you even feel more alive? Well, now let's mess that up...
Picture
Next, pick up the smartphone
Load up YouTube, or FaceBook or Instagram etc. Stare at it as you monitor you breathing, sensations and feelings in your face. Notice how your eyes dart around and thoughts in your mind get faster and faster.


Close your eyes.  Notice the difference. 
Stay with it and notice the urges inside, the craving for more stimulation. It is like fuel for the fire. Dompanie has been activated. The mind has received tiny rewards and it naturally craves more. 

Restart, for one minute. 
Now try the 'Relaxation Response' one more time. Just a minute this time. Notice the difference. ​ The more you practice the less time it takes to reset and reconnect. 
Picture
Try it yourself
This experiment has shown me just how I feed my own addiction and destroy my own ability to focus. The constant craving for immediate stimulation detracts from my ability to deep focus on creative endeavours. 

Time to focus
So now I put on some repetitive music, set a timer and get to work. I love the feeling of deep focus, when I feel the difference. I hope you do to.

If you'd like to practice or learn techniques like this please come onto the course I'm running soon: "Mindfulness and Emotions" beginning on October 1st. Book Here.
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Neil Morbey is a meditation teacher, group facilitator and inspiration guide for Positively-Mindful.com

    Subscribe to our mailing list

    * indicates required

    Archives

    February 2021
    November 2020
    September 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All
    Anxiety
    Beliefs
    Benefits / Possibilities
    Breath
    Choice
    Communication
    Drama
    Education
    Enlightenment
    Influence
    Language
    Meditation
    Metta
    Mindfulness
    Obligation
    Pain
    Procrastination
    Productivity
    Psychology
    Qigong
    Retreat
    Schools
    Taoism
    Vipassana
    Work
    Wu Wei

    RSS Feed

    All blogs: 

    • Breath Works: practices to program BOLD focus.
    • Procrastination part 3: TURNING THE SHIP AROUND
    • Loosen your TIES to suffering. 
    • Understanding Procrastination Part 2: Just do it now.
    • What happens in a 1 hour mindfulness class?
    • Understanding Procrastination 
    • Transforming Hatred with Kindness - Storytime!
    • Radical Honesty and Non-Violent Communication
    • When Feedback hurts - Own your Shit - Take a SEAT
    • My Summer So Far
    • No pain, no gain?
    • Life is like an echo... echooo... echooooo...
    • Etymology and Mindfulness of Language
    • An Awesome or Choresome Life?
    • Mindfulness for Young People?
    • Explore the depths of your ocean.
    • Let Go and Be - escape the Drama triangle! 
    • The Importance of Self Expression
    • THE IMPORTANCE OF FEEDBACK
    • Don't Mindfill
    • Love is messy, scary, risky... Love and need?
    • Awareness of the road!
    • Dealing with the emotional drop
    • Tools for patience in meditation and in life.
    • Useful language and tools for creating healthy discussion.
    • Craving the crux: 10 lessons learned from my rock climbing addiction
    • PLAYFULNESS AND PRESENCE: TEDX BELFAST 2015
    • Orestes, The Furies and The Eumenides (Kindly ones). A story of vengeance, guilt and forgiveness
    • Learning barefoot: feeling more
    • Musings on Choice and Obligation
    • What is enlightenment and what's the process of getting there?
    • What is Mindfulness and Why Practice?
    • My Vipassana Retreat Experience

    ​


Proudly powered by Weebly