The Micro-Practice of Focus

Only one thing has to change for us to know happiness in our lives: where we focus our attention.
– Greg Anderson

I heard an interesting news story today that caught my attention due to its creativity and simplicity. Tinnitus, or ringing in the ear, is the perception of sound that does not have an external source, so that other people cannot hear it. Tinnitus is commonly described as a ringing sound, but some people hear other types of sounds, such as roaring or buzzing. This can interfere with a person’s ability to concentrate, and to relax.

What was discovered last year is that the brain seems to be focusing on the internal sound, blocking out all other noises as distractions. This is the central focal point and, as such, does not allow a redirection to other tasks or sounds. What is genius is that a device was invented to allow the brain, through mild, painless electrical stimulation, to learn to focus on the tongue that is experiencing mild stimulation, thus breaking the cycle of focus the brain seems stuck inside of. Over a period of months, many people can now focus normally, and have regained their ability to relax and enjoy life.

So, why bring this up? Because human beings sometimes forget that focus acts like a muscle, and too much focus on one thing can cause it to weaken in focusing on other things. Think about that thing you worry about. Am I being productive right now? Will I have enough…..for the future? Will I ever be able to relax? Why is life always…..? Will I ever find work I like that pays well? Those are like doing pushups as we focus on them repeatedly. And the result is a constant barrage of stress hormones being released into the body, which lowers our mood and prevents us from hearing anything creative or new.

What if we take up micro-practices? When you catch yourself spinning about something, try refocusing. Do your children make your heart swell? Do you have a favorite piece of music you can bring to mind? Can you look out a window and search for the first beautiful thing you see? These are all tiny, micro-practices that remind the brain to be flexible.

And with more flexibility comes more possibilities. A Win-Win for everyone.

I’ll give you an example, of course, involving my beloved dogs. These terriers have strong minds and hearts. They love to please, but only if it is more fun than what they suddenly see in front of them. For the last five years or so, I’ve been walking 3 dogs together in the morning. I suddenly noticed that one of my younger dogs was becoming increasingly fearful while walking. She would spin, look wild-eyed, scan for cars coming behind her or from a cross street, and she began frothing at the mouth. Yikes. I have never raised a dog that was fearful, and I began trying all the calming things I knew to do, with very little success. I was at my wit’s end when I had an insight that this might not necessarily be fear.

I began walking her by herself to see if I could tell what was going on. She was still all over the place, but would walk on a looser lead, and was remarkably friendly with dogs and people we came across, just like always. Then, because I was on the lookout for something new (micro-practice about my own focus), I realized she was hunting everything that moves. And that she LOVES to chase things. And suddenly, I could see that the issue was how to get her attention back to me, not on something to chase.

I’ve got several appointments set up with positive reinforcement dog behaviorists, and I will let you know how that goes. In the meantime, we are both relieved. She, because Mom’s not sending out anxious energy anymore, and me, because I know that there is a solution out there and that she is having TOO MUCH FUN, not being afraid. Whew!

So, try prying your attention away from that loop you can find yourself in.
30 seconds of refocus is a start. And let me know how it goes!