In a busy world where we feel like we have so much to get through in a day and not enough time to fit it all in we find ourselves turning inward with our thoughts. We become consumed by the voice in our head reminding us of all the things that need to be done, ruminating over things we have said or didn’t say or should say and sometimes finding ourselves becoming distracted by the same thoughts on repeat.
Think about what some of these racing thoughts could be for you “What am I going to cook for dinner tonight? What do I need to pick up from the grocery store on the way home? Did I pack the right clothes for the kids after school activity? I need to pay that bill today. I still haven’t responded to my friend’s message from yesterday!” We have this constant chatter in our head whilst trying to carry out work, daily duties and interactions with peers, family and friends. It’s no wonder we find ourselves feeling stressed, overwhelmed, anxious and at times burnt-out.
Our thoughts influence what we feel, therefore a lot of the load we carry comes from our thoughts, which can weigh heavier than our actual situation. So, wouldn’t it be ideal to learn ways to manage our thoughts and quieten the noise a bit, so we can lift the load we feel and reduce the intensity of the stress we experience? Not only do our thoughts impact how we feel, but they can also distract us from being present in our environment and impact the quality of our interactions with others.
Think about how you interact with people daily. Are you really present in your conversations when a friend or family member is telling a story? Are you fully present in listening to a colleague doing a presentation in a meeting? Do you find yourself drifting off with thoughts? Allowing thoughts to run wild in our head distracts us from being present in the moment and prevents us from fully experiencing our environment.
Studies have shown that over time our ability to hold attention has rapidly reduced from an average of 2.5 minutes in the early 2000’s to now an average of 47 seconds. This tells us that we are not fully engaged in what we are doing, we are not present, and if we are not present, we are not experiencing enjoyment of things to its fullest.
Think about when we are engaged and more present at work, we feel more productive and efficient. When we are fully engaged in a conversation with a family member or friend, we feel more connected. When we are more present on a walk, we enjoy the beauty of nature around us. Being present can help us feel more connected, more aware of our surroundings and more mindful of our actions and behaviour. It can bring about a feeling of calm as we have quietened the mind and participate more in the moment. It’s the opposite of running on autopilot, being distracted by our racing thoughts that trigger a range of emotions, mostly stress and overwhelm.
So how do we shift from being inward with our thoughts to focussing on being outward with being present in our environment? This is a conscious decision and it requires ongoing practice to be present. Initially you will find this task of holding attention difficult and you will feel your brain almost hurt as it struggles, however with practice you will hold attention for longer and it will get easier. Being more present will bring you more joy.
One way you can train your brain to be present in your environment is to be aware of your senses. Notice what you can see, hear, touch, smell and in some situations, taste. You can even practice this while you’re eating. Instead of reading emails or scrolling on your phone stop and notice what you see (the colours of your food, the shape of it) what you feel (the texture of your food in your mouth or the feel of it in your hands), what you smell (notice the smell of your food), what you taste (notice the different flavours in your food) and what you hear (notice the sound of your cutlery clinking or the food crunching in your mouth). You will notice that when you do this, just by being more present and aware of what you are eating, you will enjoy your food much more, you will feel more satisfied and may even feel fuller. You might even notice feeling calmer as you have quietened the noise in your head during that time. Now this is just one example where you can practice being more present. Imagine doing this with other activities in your day!
Being more present and engaged in what you do takes practice and the more you do it, the more connected you will feel. Let’s aim to increase holding our attention to 2.5 minutes like we did in the early 2000’s and start feeling more happiness and joy in our experiences.
Learn more about Anna Nikolaou and being present here.
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