Choosing What We Grow
“What we pay attention to grows” (Adrienne Maree Brown)
“What we attend to is a habit and upsetting situations naturally grab our attention. So, if we don’t bring intention to this process, we will naturally notice and focus on things that are upsetting through the force of conditioned habit. The first step in expanding our attention is practicing noticing what we are attending to while we are attending to it. We can use different strategies to indicate times that we should check in to see what we are attending to:
- Set specific times of day like morning, noon, evening, and bedtime.
- Check-in when we transition from one task to another or one setting to another.
- Check-in at times when we feel tension in our bodies or any kind of discomfort.
- Check-in when our moods are down or irritable.
- Check-in after the fact when we notice we have taken actions or said things we later regret.
When we notice that our attention is focused on the negative, we can consciously choose to gently expand the field of our attention. We can do this in numerous ways, such as:
- Expanding our sensory awareness and noticing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, or sensations with curiosity.
- Making a point of noticing moments of joy, connection, care, learning, wonder, gratitude, awe, or satisfaction throughout our days.
- Making a list (mental or written) of things we appreciated, enjoyed, or felt grateful for at the end of the day.
Each time we intentionally guide our attention, we are strengthening those habits of attention and weakening the habits of focusing solely on the distressing aspects of our lives. So we can practice again and again and again. In this way, we can gradually grow the parts of our lives we have been ignoring by watering them with our attention–and in this way, whole gardens can begin to flourish. As we do this, it’s important that we don’t try to push away the stressful things that grab our attention.Those are part of our lives as well, and trying to push away what cannot be pushed away won’t change that and it will actually make us more entangled with them. The pain we feel from life circumstances and events is real and should be choicefully honored as well.”
Read the whole article at Psychology Today
#Attention #Positivity #Mindfullness #Growth
💬 What do you want to focus your attention on today?
Did you like this topic? Then you might also enjoy reading the post "Cognitively Reframing Your Thoughts for a Positive Outcome"
@globalBraid3744 Ooh this was an interesting read, with quite some useful reminders, thanks for sharing, Braid! ❤
It's almost sleep time for me, so I'll try to unwind and sleep lol! How about you?
@Sunisshiningandsoareyou
Thank you for reading, Sun 🌸 I hope you get enough rest. For me, it is also evening already but tomorrow I would like to focus on finishing all necessary tasks at work and when I come home I would like to do something relaxing, perhaps watching a movie :)
@globalBraid3744 Thankyouu, and that sounds perfect, to unwind after a productive day. Any movies in mind? 😃
@Sunisshiningandsoareyou
Actually, I am not sure what to watch haha. Do you have any recommendations?
@globalBraid3744 Haha been there xD what genre do you have in mind/ usually enjoy watching?😃
I heard The night manager on Netflix is a good one currently, might watch it soon also! I recently watched both parts of the Murder Mystery movie, and it was a fair watch also, I think heh!
@Sunisshiningandsoareyou
I do not have any favorite genre, but these days I watch thrillers and movies inspired by true events the most. What about you?
Both movies you suggested sound interesting after reading the description. Thank a lot for your recommendation, Sun 🌸
This is a very helpful practice. I have followed psychology today for years because most of it I find very helpful. I also like that it stressed the importance of being attention to things that stress you also. Giving them a chance to be addressed. I have been trying to ignore that I'm getting more ill. Waiting till my daughter gets off work to go to an immediate Care center or the ER. I've ignored it for too long because I was trying to stay positive. I am finally getting it through my thick head that the problem is not going away until it's addressed and my positivity can be sent toward getting better after I find out what's wrong. I can cener the positivity I'm trusting this is just a little speed bump that will be fine.
@adaptableOcean4193
Thank you for sharing your personal experience with ignoring your health issues. It's important to prioritize our well-being and address any concerns that arise. I'm glad to hear that you are taking steps to get the care you need and focusing on being positive about your journey to recovery. Take care and stay strong.