Time To Reflect On: Distraction

We live in a world where we are increasingly offered possibilities for distraction. In this meditation we will reflect on what causes us to be distracted. We will consider possible solutions that will help us lead a more focused, and more mindful and are less distracted life. The background music continues to allow time for reflection.
Music: The Higher Mind by Narek Mirzaei of Music of Wisdom
Photo: by Bia W. A. on Unsplash

Transcript

Dear friends,

Welcome to this meditation which is designed to help you cope with the growing issue of distraction.

Let's begin by taking a few moments to become present.

I'm sure you have had the experience of being in one place and noticing your mind somewhere else,

Finding your mind in a different place and even in a different time,

A common enough circumstance.

And I am sure you have found yourself engaged in one task and finding yourself easily distracted from the task in hand and heading down a rabbit hole containing nothing of any importance.

So since we are going to seek a solution to this problem,

It is appropriate that we would begin by practicing a little concentration just by way of exercise.

You might like to begin by closing your eyes.

If you prefer to keep eyes open,

That's fine,

But you might find it helpful to cast your gaze downward so as to be less subject to distraction.

Please check to see that your feet are firmly fixed on the floor to give you a sense of being grounded.

Posture is important also.

Your back should be reasonably straight but not rigid.

I suppose you could call it an alert type of posture.

And for just one minute,

See if you can concentrate on your breath,

Just your breath.

The simple fact of your breathing in and your breathing out and at the same time maintaining an awareness of the breath coming in and the breath going out.

You could think silently of words such as breathing in,

I am aware that I am breathing in and breathing out,

I am aware that I am breathing out.

It might happen that you lose awareness in the course of this exercise.

The likelihood is you will,

Just as I do.

But no worries.

As soon as you notice your mind has wandered,

All you need to do is bring yourself back to noticing your breath once more.

Let's give ourselves one minute,

60 seconds for this exercise in concentration.

Welcome back.

This issue of distraction has become a major problem for us in the 21st century.

Our lives are more easily disrupted than they ever were in the past.

This tendency to be pulled off course is fuelled by technological advancements and by the limitless barrage of information available at our fingertips.

The rise of social media,

Instant messaging and a plethora of other digital platforms have made it increasingly difficult to focus on important tasks and to stay on course.

The tendency to distraction affects our concentration at work but it has an even greater effect on our personal lives where it affects our ability to really connect with loved ones in person.

One of the main causes of distraction is of course the abundance of digital devices that we use and that we need to use every day.

Our smartphones,

Tablets,

Laptops and desktop computers are all potential sources of distraction,

Constantly tempting us with notifications,

Messages and updates.

I'm sure you have had the experience of opening your phone to check one particular thing,

For example the weather,

And you find yourself distracted by noticing something else.

It's the easiest thing in the world to go off track when something else captures our attention.

The dopamine rush we get from checking our devices can be addictive,

Making it difficult to resist the urge to constantly check for new information.

How often have I looked to check my phone today?

How often have you looked?

I think we can all agree,

Too often.

Social media and other digital platforms have created an environment where we are constantly bombarded with information and entertainment,

Making it difficult to disconnect and hard to focus on the task in hand.

We are offered an endless scrolling of news feeds,

Maybe leading us to watching videos and then to reading related articles.

On and on it goes as we seek yet another dopamine fix.

All this can become highly addictive.

These prompts and notifications lead us into what can be a constant state of distraction and reduced productivity.

With so much information and entertainment available at our fingertips,

It can be difficult to disconnect from the endless barrage coming at us.

The ever-available flood of material makes it more difficult for us to focus in the present moment on the task right in front of us.

Many of us find it challenging even to have a conversation with someone present without checking our devices.

We can find ourselves checking in first thing in the morning,

Last thing at night and even when visiting the bathroom.

Some of us have the habit of documenting our life as it passes and uploading a running commentary to social media,

As if anyone really cares what we had for dinner the day before yesterday.

Better to live a life in awareness unless your job happens to be recording and broadcasting what is going on.

We have all come across or maybe we have even been part of a group of people sitting at a dining table,

All preoccupied with their own devices to the neglect of the people sitting right beside them.

Let's have another one minute pause for reflection,

Another 60 seconds in which we can become really present and become aware of life as it is presenting itself to us in this present moment.

Welcome back again.

Distractions can be frustrating and they can knock us off course.

They can interfere with our ability to focus on what it is we wish to do.

The first step in coping with distraction is to identify the source.

Is it social media?

Are we finding ourselves disrupted by notifications or by something else?

Are we members of an unwieldy WhatsApp group with messages coming in too frequently and at all times?

Once we identify the source we can take steps to eliminate or minimise it.

We will find that not many of our distractions arise from people dropping in to visit or people making phone calls to us.

The interruptions and intrusions are more likely to arise from the fact that we live in such an interconnected world and are hardly ever far removed from the plethora of devices that help us to maintain those connections.

Many of the activities which we carry out in our work and social lives rely upon these devices so it is not simply a matter of being able to do without them.

We have to figure out ways to live with our devices but in a more mindful way that doesn't have an adverse effect on our concentration.

Here are some suggestions that might help to improve matters for us.

We can set goals and prioritise tasks based on their importance and urgency.

If we have tasks listed and goals set and if we can make it our business to try to stick to them,

This will help us to focus on the most important tasks and we will better avoid getting sidetracked by interruptions.

Multitasking encourages the idea that we can do more than one thing at the same time but this opens us to the temptation of too easy distraction.

Focusing on just one task at a time will improve our overall productivity.

We can eliminate predictable distractions that can interfere with our ability to focus by turning off our phones and our notifications for a set time just by doing that.

This will allow us to have an unbroken period of concentration so that we can attend to what it is we wish to do.

Now it might seem counterintuitive but it can be helpful if we take regular breaks to refresh our minds.

It helps us avoid sleepwalking on the job.

Such a break might consist of a short walk,

Even a simple stretch or a walk up and down a flight of stairs.

After that we will find that we can set about the task with a fresh enthusiasm and with a renewed determination to avoid distraction.

Ask yourself,

Are there many emails that require an instant response?

Are there any?

So why not create scheduled times for checking emails and social media?

In this way we can better stay on track and avoid interruptions.

Another idea,

You may have heard of the Pomodoro technique.

This involves working for a set amount of time,

Usually 25 minutes,

Followed by a short break,

Say five minutes.

The setting of this short fixed time for concentrated work,

Followed by the next short break that can encourage increased focus and productivity.

We can also help reduce the opportunity for distraction by creating a clear workspace and by minimising flutter.

This will help us at home and at work and it will make it easier for us to focus on one thing at a time,

Just one thing at a time.

And we should try to establish clear boundaries between our work and our personal life.

The idea is to devote ourselves wholeheartedly to work when it is time to work and not to work when it is not time to work.

It is not a reasonable work-life balance and it will not lead to efficiency if we are always on call.

Avoiding distractions can be helped by simple good manners.

If we are in a social setting with friends,

We should as a matter of routine turn our devices off,

Unless we switch them on again if there is something in particular that we wish to share with the person who is there in front of us.

Another thought,

Our bedrooms are meant to be places of rest,

So our mobile devices should be best left out of these rooms.

And last but not least,

The practice of mindfulness involves being present in the moment and focusing on the breath or on our surroundings.

If we are really present,

We will notice the distractions for what they are and we will be inclined to be less knocked off course by them.

And there you have it my friends,

These are just some suggestions for dealing with the challenge of distraction.

I hope one or two of the ideas given to you in this meditation will help keep you in focus and contribute to a less distracted life.

The background music will continue for some minutes now,

So that if you wish,

If you have the time,

You may like to continue to reflect on how you can bring yourself into a less distracted life.

Namaste.

Reviews

Another great guided meditation from Tony and always what I am in need of. Thank you so much.

That was really helpful. I almost want to try to get used to not checking my phone as much but I know it's going to be really hard and I don't want to make myself any promises. It is definitely an addiction like you described as far as the dopamine rush goes.

Thank you Tony for bringing this to my attention. I have some reminders I can turn off. Namaste 🙏

Thank you Tony. I am not on social media and can get easily distracted! I understand your words though. Music lovely too.
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