Your Attention Is Like a Muscle: You Can Make It Stronger

Attention is one of our most important things, but it’s easy to overlook. In today’s busy world and “attention economy,” we are bombarded with information, distractions, and things that demand our time and energy. This can make us feel scattered, overwhelmed, and unable to focus.

But just like we can build our physical muscles through exercise, we can also train our Attention to be sharper, stronger, and more effective. Doing this can help us both at work and in our personal lives, allowing us to do better in our jobs and manage our emotions, even when things get stressful.

Why Should You Invest the Effort?

If you want to perform well in high-stress situations, you must train your attention.

Thinking of Attention as a muscle helps us understand that it takes practice to get better at it. When our attention muscle is stronger, we can focus more deeply on tasks, which leads to getting more done, solving problems better, and being more creative. In our personal lives, being able to focus helps us be more present with the people we care about, manage stress, and keep our emotions in check. By taking time to train your Attention, you’re setting yourself up for success in every part of your life.

So, how do we strengthen our attention muscles? There are two main things to work on: learning to notice what’s happening right now (mindfulness) and learning to observe our thoughts without getting caught up in them.

Mindfulness: The Fundamental Skill of “Paying Attention”

Mindfulness means paying Attention to what’s happening right now without judging it. This sounds easy, but our minds are often stuck thinking about the past or worrying about the future instead of focusing on the present.

One simple way to practice mindfulness is by paying Attention to your breath. Your breath can be an "anchor" that helps bring your Attention back to the present when your mind starts to wander. Here’s how you can start:

• Set aside 2 minutes daily, five days a week, to focus on your breath.

• Find a quiet place, sit comfortably, and close your eyes.

• Pay Attention to how your breath feels as it moves in and out of your body.

• When your mind wanders (which it will), gently bring your focus back to your breath.

Start with 2 minutes and slowly increase to 15 minutes a day, five days a week. After about three months, you’ll probably notice you’re better at staying focused and present.

Taking it to the Next Level: Learning to Observe Your Thoughts Like Watching a River

It’s also essential to learn how to watch your thoughts without getting too involved in them. Imagine your thoughts as a river flowing by while you sit on the bank, watching. You can see the thoughts and feelings passing by, but you don’t have to jump in and get carried away.

This practice of watching your "river of thought" helps you take a step back from your thoughts and feelings. This distance gives you more control over how you react and makes it less likely that you’ll get overwhelmed by stress or anxiety.

The next time you find yourself lost in thought, try this:

• Picture your thoughts as a river flowing by.

• Notice each thought as it comes up, without trying to hold onto it or push it away.

• Let the thought pass and bring your focus back to the present moment.

By Observing Your Thoughts, You Can Also Avoid Needless Suffering.

We can’t always avoid challenges, stress, or negative experiences in life. But we often make things worse by overthinking them, replaying them in our minds, and worrying about things we can’t control. This is called the "second arrow." The first arrow that hits us is the original problem; the second arrow is the extra pain we create by dwelling on it.

To avoid the second arrow, you need to learn how to redirect your thoughts when you catch yourself overthinking. When you notice that you’re stuck in a loop of negative thinking, bring your focus back to the present moment. Use your breath or something else as an anchor, and remind yourself that worrying about the past or future only causes more unnecessary pain.

By strengthening your attention muscle through mindfulness, observing your thoughts, and learning to redirect them, you can easily handle life’s challenges. This practice not only helps you do better at work, but it also helps you stay emotionally resilient and live a more balanced, fulfilling life.

For more tools to help you improve your attention and decrease your stress, be sure to schedule a free consultation.