Staying focused is hard. We often hear that and we all know it's true.
When we are working on something, the focus is precious. If your mind starts to wander not only do you lose the momentum of your work, but you may also end up losing lots of time. We can't get back the time that we lost for nothing.
Let's try to understand this better...
Think of a pond with crystal clear water. You can see the bottom clearly, can see the fishes! This is how our mind is when it's at its best. You have super sharp focus and concentration, you're feeling content, and encouraged.
But what could go wrong?
When algae grow, when the water is stirred, water is no longer transparent. It becomes opaque obscuring the visibility. You can't see the bottom nor the fishes now.
This is how your mind looks when it's burdened by negative emotions.
It could be anger, sadness, guilt, self-doubt, jealousy, or confusion. These are the algae or the mud particles in the pond. While your mind is filled with them, your focus and concentration are weakened. As you dwell on them, your mind goes downhill and tries to escape reality by wandering off to the fantasy realm.
Nature of the mind
Our mind does not want us to suffer. It always defaults to the path of least resistance. When something is harder to achieve or when we're discouraged, we can surely expect it to give some sweet excuses to dodge such situations.
For example: when you're in the middle of coding when you cannot figure out a solution, your mind is likely to tell you that you need a break. Which is acceptable. But then, going back to coding seems like swimming upriver! If this pattern goes on, you might be taking more breaks and doing less work and yet, you may feel it's justified. As you know, this isn't good for us.
Dwelling on an emotion intensifies its effect. Irritation may grow into an uncontrollable rage. A minor disappointment may end up in anguish. Because when we aren't aware of our emotions, the mind goes into autopilot mode. I've had moments where I was coding and the next thing I know I'm in the Mediterranean, chilling!
On the opposite side, if you dwell on positive emotion, it intensifies as well. A small joy can make you feel euphoric if it intensifies.
How do we control this?
There are two ways we can go about this. There's are temporary fixes and there are reliable methods.
A less reliable way
Temporary methods revolve around staying light, happy, and content by following various methods. Because when your mind is light, it's similar to a clear pond. Your mind is less likely to wander off to oblivion when you're happy.
Everyone has their own way of doing things but here are some temporary fixes I use to stay focused.
- If I'm focusing on a subject that I'm new to, I prefer complete silence.
- If I'm coding in a language I'm familiar with, I prefer listening to ambient music
- Recently, I've started using "Noisli" to listen to ambient sounds during work. Highly recommended!
- Also another one of my favs: Gothic 3 ambient mix
There are many more. I work out daily, don't drink coffee for energy. I rely on workouts and eating healthy. I also try to surround myself with aesthetics that make me happy!
So what's the reliable method?
There's no use in applying a bandaid to fix a broken leg. The above methods are great but if your mind is deeply scattered and if your mindfulness is low, you'll find that they are less effective.
Meditation
Not only mediation can diminish the effects of negative emotions, but it can also help you to stay mindful, therefore stopping your mind from wandering off. If your awareness is good, even if your mind wanders off, you'll notice it quickly. There are many forms of mediation, but since this isn't about meditation, I'll mention one for you to consider.
Compassion meditation brings out your kind, nurturing side in order to reduce the effects of negative feelings. What I believe is every action has a reaction. Therefore fighting a negative feeling with a positive one is very effective depending on their intensities. Meditating 10-15mins in the morning and before bedtime, or whenever necessary, can help you to strengthen your mindfulness. As a result, you'll be able to focus on your work for longer durations.
I can go on about this but here goes a guided meditation session for you to follow. However, if you're going to take meditation seriously, then do your best to get a mentor. I can't stress that enough!
10-Minute Guided Meditation for Self-Compassion
Remember, if you don't like it, then you don't have to do it. I'm simply suggesting this method to you, out of my experience. I've been meditating for almost 2+ years now and truly believe it has changed my life for the best. But it's just my opinion and I'm just a mere student at this subject so, please feel free to do what's best for you.
As you keep practicing this meditation you'll notice that you're in a state of happiness especially during the mediation and for some time after. If you ever feel you're doing the meditation forcefully, trust me, you're doing it wrong. Meditation should never feel like a chore and is only meant to relax and make your mind radiant.
An ending note
To add to this I always try to remind myself that my happiness is my own responsibility. It's a choice, perhaps a hard one. I don't blame the world If I lose my happiness because if I do, then I'll never do what it takes to stay happy. Taking ownership and accountability for my own actions has been a game-changer for me as it helps me to stay content.
That said, please do share your own experiences and techniques to stay focused, happy and strong!
Have a wonderful week ahead!
Image References:
YourFates. 2021. 41 Best Meditation Quotes to Energize your Inner Soul. [online] Available at: https://www.yourfates.com/meditation-quotes/ [Accessed 14 September 2021].