This week I’ve found it hard to stop mindlessly scrolling through social media, some of you may have found it hard as well. Luckily, presidential elections only happen once every four years. But still, in a world with constant notifications, breaking news, and where a little dopamine hit is just a click away, it’s harder than ever to be intentional with our attention. Even at work, there’s always a new slack message or email to pull our attention away from what we’re doing.
Here are three things that have helped me intentionally direct my attention and be in the moment:
Disabling most notifications on my phone and computer. I only have notifications turned on for phone calls and messaging apps. Everything else can wait till I decide to check it.
Keeping my phone out of reach when I want to focus. Sometimes just having to get up to check my phone is enough to stop me from acting on the impulse.
Actively trying to focus on one thing at a time and then, when I’m witching between tasks or activities, taking a moment to intentionally decide what I am going to do next. Just taking a minute to really think about what I want to do next helps me be mindful and not mindless in what I give my attention to.
It’s always a work in progress and some days are easier than others, but I think if we try and live in the moment and intentionally decide where to direct our attention we can make a bigger impact and have more peace of mind.