Laura Peart Full Circle CBT Therapist
The importance of being present
Our world is shaped by what we choose to pay attention to.
Life can be hectic and stressful. Fast paced and full of distractions.
As humans we are not wired to constantly multi task.
The modern world makes that even harder.
There are numerous distractions and options available to us at any one time.
Focusing now seems harder than ever.
You may think you are juggling and working on things simultaneously but in fact what you are actually doing is just switching between things constantly. The effect this has is our inability to be present, really present and focused when we need to. Our society now actively discourages us from being present in the moment and concentrating on what’s in front of us.
There are constant mounting pressures whether that be at work or at home.
As human we have a desire to want to find a connection and to not let each other down whether this be with colleagues, our boss, friends or family. Therefore we try to please those people we value as much as we can, but often by doing so much, we get overwhelmed by how much we need to do. It’s a constant cycle of of doing with a never ending to do list.
We move away from structure as we bounce from one idea to the next.
Most people only have the capacity to focus on one particular thing for around 90 minutes, and if you’re reading this and thinking wow 90 minutes that doesn’t sound too bad, that number is decreasing all the time.
Why then is this an issue
The truth is the more distracted we are, the less connected and the more overwhelmed we become.
This can have a direct impact on both the body and mind, it can have a direct impact on our health, relationships etc. Often my clients will see a noticeable difference in how they start to breath differently. Day to day our breath can be mostly quick and shallow, agitated and in the upper chest.
What can help
By focusing for a few minutes a day whilst meditating can increase our productivity, make us more focused and give you a greater sense of ease for both the body and mind.
That feeling of overwhelm where your sympathetic nervous system of fight or flight is on full alert will be be managed through meditation.
You will learn the relax, rest and digest response which is the opposite of fight or flight. This will improve how you connect with others, how you react and feel more present.
Lets get real
Let’s be clear meditating will not stop your thoughts or feelings. It does not mean ridding yourself or controlling one’s mind. Meditation in its simplistic form means we are able to train our minds to allow ourselves to change our relationship to our transient or intrusive thoughts and feelings and learn to view these with a better perspective.
Often my clients will say when they first try meditation it’s not for me, I get too distracted and loose focus. This is inevitable, in fact you will become distracted, that’s a given. It not about stopping these thoughts it’s about being focused and present and what’s important is that you notice the distraction and bring your self back.
Focused attention is extremely important in meditation. It can be done with many different techniques to help aid you. It can be done by a word, phrase an object or even your breath. It gives you an anchor which will help you should your mind drift.
I often hear I’m not really into that. People are still under the misconception that this is something that’s a nice to do but with out any real advantage medically or scientifically. This is false, meditation has existed in many forms over thousands of years. Scientists have rigorously tested the affect meditation can have on our brains. They now know that our brains have the capacity through neuroplasticity meaning our brains are mailable, flexible and change through growth. We know that meditating enhances the blood flow which reduces stress, depression, anxiety, frustration as well as pain. It can help with a multitude of different disorders as well as increasing happiness, heightening levels of patience, acceptance and compassion.
There will be days where meditation feels relatively easy, in turn there will be days it will feels harder. The important thing is to stay with it.
Meditation takes many forms and at Full Circle we can guide you through the various techniques we use. These include focused meditation, visualisation meditation, mindfulness meditation, mantra meditation and progressive relaxation meditation.
We will work with you to choose the most suitable form for you and your life style.
To find out how meditation can have positive impact on your life and for a free consultation click on the link and send me an email at Laura@fullcirclecbt.co.uk