These lifeskills are based on an article in Psychology Today, “Lessons You Won’t Learn in School” by Jena Pincott.
This is the 9th lifeskill and it is about zoning in on life when we are living in a world that is zoned out and distracted. That was a long sentence. Did you already zone out? Stick with me!
According to Larry Rosen, coauthor of “The Distracted Brain”, most of us can only maintain focus for 2-4 minutes. It can also take up to 20 minutes to get back on task if we are distracted. How in the world do we ever get anything done? He also points out that we often having a “nagging anxiety about missing out (FOMO)” which motivates us to constantly check our phones.
As I am writing this blog, my eight college friends text thread is beeping at me. It’s a Tuesday and my friend and her husband are on the way to a Grateful Dead concert! They sent a picture and they are looking very happy! Meanwhile the rest of us are working. I am trying to get this blog done. I left this lifeskills series hanging for 2 years!! So today, of all days, I am determined to write this article!
I am typing on my laptop in one room and my desktop computer that I rarely use is running in the other room- and dinging at me. It is as if it is yelling, “Pam, you have one new text message” - or 25. I did not enable the “do not disturb” button on the desktop computer. I learned a long time ago that I have to mute this text thread on my phone (sorry, girls!) or I would never get anything done. I think this is a test from the universe. I’m writing about being distracted while being distracted!
What's the solution? For me, currently, I am getting up to turn off notifications on that desktop! I’m also texting my friends and telling them that they are “in” this blog post now. They will love being famous. hahahaha! One friend suggested that I write a blog about a 50 plus year old and her husband cruising to a concert in the middle of the week. This girl is not even an empty nester! Yay for her going to see one of their favorite bands. Their first concert seeing this band was 30 years ago. Maybe this will inspire you to make a note to do whatever it is you are wanting to do and make it happen! The world probably isn’t going to end because they went to a concert in the middle of the week.
Ok - what was I writing? Solutions to zoning out!! Even people with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) have the ability to focus. You’ve probably seen a kid with ADD struggling to concentrate on schoolwork but they can focus on a computer game or something they enjoy doing.
We CAN focus. As adults, nobody is going to make us do our work. There may be consequences but we have a choice. We have to equip ourselves. Arm ourselves with tools and weapons. Work that muscle of self control. Schedule time to get things done. Shut out the world. Use your technology - that phone you probably have has an alarm. Set it for 30 or 60 minutes. Then take a 5 minute break to take your eyes off of your work. Stretch. Go outside. Drink water. Then back to the task. This can apply to school work, computer work, exercise, and even loading the dishwasher. Time yourself the next time you need to load the dishwasher. It doesn’t take but a few minutes and you’ll feel so accomplished when you’re done!
Rosen states that, with practice, we can “foster the development of executive control”. Once you’ve done the task and experienced “zoning in” - you feel good about yourself and you’ll be more eager to do the work required for the next task.
This article mentions briefly that if we continue to allow ourselves to be distracted, we may not achieve our purpose in this life. What a waste that would be. Consider today what your heart wants to achieve - then turn off those phone notifications! The messages and emails will be there when it’s quitting time for the day.
As a warning, I sat down to write this blog and I gave myself an hour. It’s now an hour and a half. How long DID it actually take for me to write this blog? Did all that distraction cost me 30 minutes?? Oh well, I experienced a real life example of how distractions can steal time from us. Today this distraction actually gave me food for thought. It also made me smile and inspired to do something fun and out of the ordinary. I hope it inspired you too.