{"id":161,"date":"2011-09-19T21:09:13","date_gmt":"2011-09-20T04:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/?p=161"},"modified":"2011-09-19T21:51:35","modified_gmt":"2011-09-20T04:51:35","slug":"restoring-your-lost-powers-of-concentration-an-elemental-approach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/?p=161","title":{"rendered":"Restoring Your Lost Powers of Concentration: An Elemental Approach"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Meditate<\/a>Are we overwhelmed or under-enthused?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Did you know that Google returns almost 6 million hits if you type \u201cmental focus\u201d into the search engine?\u00a0 Why do we find it so difficult to stay focused on completing a project or long term goal these days?<\/p>\n

I don\u2019 know about you, but I\u2019ve lost track of the number of blog posts and magazine articles I\u2019ve read that hypothesize about why we can\u2019t stay focused and how to hone our powers of concentration.\u00a0 The usual suggestions for improving our ability to stay focused include time and energy management strategies (scheduling a set amount of time, breaking larger projects or longer term goals into manageable tasks, etc), and eliminating external distractions.\u00a0 According to many of these articles, if we\u2019d just switch off the electronics and social media apps we\u2019d all be much better at focusing on the task in front of us.\u00a0 The implication is that much of the problem with staying focused is due to external distractions.<\/p>\n

I beg to differ.\u00a0 I think many of these distractions are symptoms<\/em> rather than major causes of a reduced ability to concentrate. Have you ever noticed that when you are fully engaged with what you\u2019re doing, you rein in your senses, the chattering monkey-mind quiets down, and you tune out everything else that is unfolding in your immediate environment?\u00a0 You\u2019re not remotely interested in or tempted by distractions like email, twitter, or computer games. Now think about what happens when you\u2019re not<\/em> enthused about the task in front of you or you\u2019re feeling some anxiety about it.\u00a0 You most likely find yourself in a scenario that is the exact opposite to the one I\u2019ve just described.<\/p>\n

Clearly, our level of interest in a project isn\u2019t the only factor influencing our powers of mental focus.\u00a0 We all know how to muster and apply intense concentration to a short term task with a fixed deadline at work\u2014whether we enjoy the task or not.\u00a0 If the consequences of not delivering the project on time are going to be painful financially or professionally, we muster up every ounce of concentration and stay focused on the task until it\u2019s finished\u2014even if we have to work like maniacs to get it finished on time. But what if it\u2019s a personal project or goal with no real deadline and no clearly discernable consequences attached to not finishing the project?<\/p>\n

Some people are great at following through on their personal goals and projects. They get fired up about a \u201cproductive obsession\u201d (In his book brainstorm. Harnessing the Power of Productive Obsessions<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Eric Maisel defines a productive obsession as \u201can idea that you choose for good reasons and pursue with all of your brain\u2019s power.\u201d), and they happily spend focused time on their project every day until it\u2019s finished. Other folks have a more challenging time getting started and staying focused on their personal projects.\u00a0 (I am occasionally guilty of this tendency, so this article is definitely a \u201cteach what you need to learn\u201d experience!)<\/p>\n

Most of us have probably fallen into this latter category once or twice before collecting some useful strategies for navigating our way around the obstacle path of tempting distractions, initiative that won\u2019t ignite, or enthusiasm that ebbs and flows faster than the tides. Sometimes our inner obstacles prove to be more challenging to deal with than any external distractions we might encounter.\u00a0 How, then, can we learn to avoid the internal distractions that scatter our concentration and sabotage our ability to stay focused on our goals and creative projects?<\/p>\n

Journey through the Elements<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve found that a combination of inner work and outer practices seems to be the most effective approach to creating changes in our behaviours and mental processes. I\u2019ve also noticed that both the inner and outer work are often more powerful if we take a whole brain approach and include the kinds of actions and information that appeal to the right hemisphere of our brains. I do this through using imagery (as symbolic objects and through visualizations and guided meditations) and symbolic actions.<\/p>\n

Much of my spiritual practice evolves from a tradition that believes we are complex beings who operate at five levels; spiritual, mental, energetic, emotional and physical.\u00a0 We can equate each of these levels with one of the five classical elements used in Western metaphysical schools of thought\u2014space (spirit), air (thought, inspiration), fire (energy, passion, will), water (emotions, intuition), and earth (physical body)\u2014and work with them to help us develop our ability to stay focused on personally meaningful goals or projects. Let\u2019s get started on our elemental journey.<\/p>\n

Space<\/em><\/strong> is associated with Spirit (also referred to as the Self or Higher Self, Inner Wisdom, or soul).\u00a0 Spirit is that quiet, wise voice that we hear underneath the mental chatter of the self (ego).\u00a0 I visualize Spirit residing in the centre of a still, calm, sacred inner space.\u00a0 If you are struggling to get started, let alone stay focused, on a project, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to start connecting with your Inner Wisdom on a regular basis and trusting its guidance. If you tune into your Inner Wisdom (a deeper level of thinking and knowing that \u201cspeaks\u201d in a quieter voice than the ego self), it may give you some insights about why your focus has gone absent without leave and some feedback on what would help you to retrieve it.<\/p>\n

You can also call on Spirit to help you shift into a different psychological space at the beginning of each block of time you devote to working on your creative project. It doesn\u2019t have to be an elaborate ritual; it just has to be an action that is performed mindfully every time you start working on your project. It can be as simple as lighting a candle, repeating a mantra or affirmation that helps you feel grounded or spending a few moments admiring or connecting with an object or image you associate with feeling inspired, calm, grounded and present.<\/p>\n

Air<\/em><\/strong> is associated with thinking and inspiration. We often use metaphors that evoke images of the sky and clouds to describe our thought processes:\u00a0 We say someone is \u201cclear headed\u201d, or someone has \u201chis head in the clouds\u201d. Our thoughts drift\u2014or race\u2014like clouds moving across the sky. An idea comes to us \u201clike a bolt out of the blue\u201d, and we talk about going for a walk so the fresh air will clear the cobwebs out of our brains.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think it\u2019s an accident that meditation teachers and mindfulness practitioners tell us to imagine our thoughts as clouds floating by in the mind, to just notice them but not engage with them if we want to train ourselves to keep our attention on whatever we\u2019re doing in the present moment.<\/p>\n

When you find yourself in this situation, it may be helpful to sit up (or better yet, step away from your work space), take a few deep breaths, and gently ask your Self what the unhelpful mental chatter and procrastination are trying to tell you.\u00a0 A conscious choice to stop struggling and take a break with the intent of clearing some mental inner space will be far more productive than forcing yourself to stay focused when feeling inundated with unhelpful self talk and checking twitter every two minutes while berating yourself for not staying on task.<\/p>\n

Fire<\/em><\/strong> is associated with creativity, passion, enthusiasm and drive or energy.\u00a0 According to an online etymological dictionary<\/a>, the root word of \u201cfocus\u201d comes from a Latin word for \u201cfire\u201d or \u201chearth\u201d. If you are not \u201cfired up\u201d about a project, or you don\u2019t tend to your fire properly it\u2019s going to be a challenge to ignite and maintain the steady flame of energy that will sustain you through to the end of the project.\u00a0 If you are feeling mentally or physically fatigued, or you are not putting the right fuel (water and nutrient dense food) you literally may not have the energy to work on your project or goal.\u00a0 Anxious thoughts or doubts about you goal or your ability can also be the equivalent of smothering a fire through cutting of its supply of oxygen.<\/p>\n

Conversely, if your energetic fires burn too fast or too hot, you\u2019re likely to burn yourself out\u2014literally and figuratively.\u00a0 It\u2019s important to maintain control over your energetic fire so it doesn\u2019t get out of control and consume you. If you saw the movie The Black Swan<\/em>, about a ballerina who becomes obsessed with trying to perfect the two lead roles\u2014the white swan and the black swan\u2014for a production of Swan <\/em>Lake, then you know what an out of control fire looks like.\u00a0 If you notice that perhaps the process of completing your project or attaining your goal is becoming all consuming and leading to an out of balance life, turn that flame down and bring the project back down to a gentle simmer for a while!<\/p>\n

The element of water<\/em><\/strong> is linked to emotions and intuition.\u00a0 You have probably noticed on many occasions that your emotions and moods often have a profound effect on your ability to concentrate or stay focused on a project.\u00a0 If you are feeling overwhelmed by strong emotions that are interfering with your ability to settle down and stay focused, you will need to find out what purpose these feelings are serving and then clear your emotional space so you can relax into the work.<\/p>\n

You can either mentally visualize washing away the troublesome feelings, or you can literally wash away any anxious or negative feelings about the project. Taking a few minutes to splash your face with some water, while imagining that you are cleansing yourself of the unhelpful emotions, will help you get refocused on your project.\u00a0 If you like using aromatherapy remedies, find an essential oil, or a blend of oils, that helps to calm your feelings and lift your mood and try using it in a diffuser in the space where you work on your project.<\/p>\n

Earth<\/em><\/strong> is associated with the physical body. How you are feeling physically affects your thoughts, feelings, energy, motivation and your spirit as well as your ability to stay focused on the work in front of you. If you are tired, hungry (or too full), thirsty, tense, or physically uncomfortable when you start working on a project, it will probably interfere with your ability to keep your attention on the project and settle into a state of flow.<\/p>\n

Ideally, you want to feel comfortable, nourished, hydrated, rested, and relaxed when you start working on your project so you can settle in and quickly turn your attention toward the work you want to accomplish.\u00a0 Since humans weren\u2019t meant to sit or stand in one position for hours at a time, remember to take a short stretching and water break at the end of each hour. On the other hand, if you consistently start to feel fatigued or restless before the end of the time period you allotted for working on your project, you may need to adjust the amount of time, per session, that you actively work on your project.\u00a0 Taking care of yourself at the physical level will help you improve your focus, so it\u2019s important to listen to and honour what your body is telling you about your inner and outer space.<\/p>\n

As you probably noticed, none of these elements operate in isolation from one another. If you are physically uncomfortable, it will intrude on your energy and thoughts.\u00a0 If you are not truly connected with the project at the spirit level or \u201cfired up\u201d about it energetically, it might show up as procrastination and an increased tendency to become easily distracted. Similarly, an overwhelming cascade of stressful thoughts or feelings will affect you physically and interfere with your ability to stay focused on your project.<\/p>\n

The Elements in Focus<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are a few ways to have fun incorporating the elements into some helpful strategies for staying focused on the projects and goals that bring meaning to your life and gently escorting the internal distractions to the nearest exit.<\/p>\n

1. Give yourself some space: <\/strong><\/em>Do you have a quiet place in (or near) your home where you can work on your project without distractions to you or disruptions to the physicals space? Transform this “work space” into your sacred project space<\/strong><\/em>. Create a comfortable, calm environment that nurtures your spirit and energy and facilitates a speedy transition into a relaxed, focused state of mind. Whenever you enter your sacred project space, mentally leave all “outer world” concerns at the door, and enter the room with the conscious intent to give the project your undivided attention.<\/p>\n

2. Air out your lungs and mind: <\/strong><\/em>Before starting work on your project, sit quietly and take a few deep breaths to aerate <\/em>your body and mind.\u00a0 You might want to try Eric Maisel\u2019s \u201cten zen second\u201d<\/a> practice which combines a deep breath (five seconds on the inhalation and five seconds on the exhalation) combined with a positive affirmation, or \u201cincantation\u201d.\u00a0 You might also want to try using an essential oil<\/a> such as peppermint, rosemary, bergamot, black pepper or basil that helps to cultivate mental focus. You can use the oil in a diffuser, put a drop or two on a cotton ball or Kleenex.\u00a0 (Safety note: Never apply undiluted essential oils directly on your skin and do not use these oils internally.)<\/p>\n

3. From fire to focus: <\/strong><\/em>Some people like to burn a candle while they are working on a creative project.\u00a0 The act of lighting and then gazing at a candle for a few minutes serves as a ritual to help some people shift into a focused frame of mind. Alternatively, you can imagine feeding any doubts or unhelpful thoughts or feelings into a fire.\u00a0 Rather than letting doubts smother your energetic fires, transform unhelpful thoughts into fuel that keeps you positively fired up and focused on your project.<\/p>\n

4. You can bring the cleansing power of water<\/em><\/strong> <\/em>to the rescue in several ways.\u00a0 The simplest way is to remember to drink plenty of water.\u00a0 If you are dehydrated, you will feel mentally fatigued and unable to concentrate on your work. If you\u2019re not a big fan of water, consider taking a refreshing cup of peppermint tea (or another choice of herbal tea that will refresh you) into your sacred creative space with you.\u00a0 Taking a walk by a stream or the ocean, or even sitting near a fountain, are also helpful strategies for relaxing and shifting your emotional state. Imagine that the water is washing away all of your unhelpful feelings or thoughts so you can return to your project feeling mentally clear and refreshed.<\/p>\n

5. Getting down to earth: <\/strong><\/em>If you\u2019re feeling a bit spacey or unsettled, take a few minutes to settle into your body and really connect with the earth\u2019s energy before you actually start working on your project.\u00a0 Imagine that you are a sturdy tree with long, strong roots deeply embedded in and connected to the earth, and draw on that energy to keep you grounded in the present moment.\u00a0 Thank the earth for supporting you and contributing to a rock solid ability to concentrate on your work.<\/p>\n

Have fun with these ideas and let me know how they worked for you.\u00a0 If you come up with other ideas, please do share them with us.\u00a0 (Remember to type in the comment verification code exactly<\/em> as you see it!)<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note<\/em><\/strong>: Originally, I wrote this article as a guest post on Karl Staib\u2019s website, Super Power Coach<\/a>. \u00a0(Thanks, Karl, for graciously allowing me to repost this for a slightly different audience.) Karl\u2019s approach to coaching budding entrepreneurs is grounded in helping individuals to get in touch with their inner wisdom and find marketing strategies that are aligned with his clients\u2019 innate strengths and authentic inner selves.
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I don\u2019 know about you, but I\u2019ve lost track of the number of blog posts and magazine articles I\u2019ve read that hypothesize about why we can\u2019t stay focused and how to hone our powers of concentration. The implication is that much of the problem with staying focused is due to external distractions. I beg to differ. I think many of these distractions are symptoms rather than major causes of a reduced ability to concentrate. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10,9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=161"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":165,"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161\/revisions\/165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}