Focus By Giving Your Mind A Problem To Solve

It can be hard to focus when your mind is full of thoughts and is jumping from one thought to the next and the next. Giving your mind a problem to solve is an easy and effective way to slow the busyness and regain focus.

This is an easy practice that can be done formally for 5 or 25 minutes or informally, anywhere, anytime with a few breaths. It's also an effective tool to get to sleep, or back to sleep when your mind is full of chatter.

All you need is your breath.

Music Drifting - Unicorn Heads - Pixabay
Photo courtesy Elle Cartier - Unsplash

Transcript

If your mind is busy and you're having trouble maintaining focus then give your mind a problem to solve.

This can be done as a formal seated meditation with your eyes closed or it could be done as an informal practice whenever you need it.

You could do this in five breaths,

Five minutes,

Ten minutes,

However long you need for your mind to calm down.

I won't be ending this meditation or this practice.

I will simply allow the music to continue for another minute or so and then I will fade it out.

You will know when your mind has stopped jumping from thing to thing to thing and has calmed down enough for you to continue with whatever task is at hand or whatever you are planning to do.

So let's begin.

Just breathing naturally,

Normally,

In and out through the nose.

Take your awareness to your breath.

Not controlling it.

It's taking your awareness to your breath and ask yourself where is my breath?

Where is my breath?

Don't search for it.

Try and judge it.

Just notice.

Notice where your attention is drawn to.

Is your breath the strongest in and out through your nose?

Rising fall of your chest?

Perhaps in the ribcage,

The solar plexus or the belly.

Where is my breath?

Deepen your inquiring.

What is the quality of my breath?

What is the quality of my breath?

Is it strong and deep,

Short and shallow?

Perhaps it's a little ragged.

There's no right or wrong answer.

Just be the detective.

Allow your mind to be the detective.

What is the quality of my breath?

What is the temperature of my breath?

What is the temperature of my breath?

Is it cool,

Warm,

Neutral?

Perhaps you notice the coolness of the in-breath and the warmth of the returning exhalation.

Just noticing,

Just noticing.

Let your mind solve this problem.

Where is my breath?

What is the quality of my breath?

What is the temperature of my breath?

Continue in this way,

Asking these questions.

Perhaps you may only want to ask one question.

Where is my breath?

Continue in this way until your mind has calmed down enough to stay focused on one thing at a time.

Where is my breath?

What is the quality of my breath?

What is the temperature of my breath?