Conscious Growth.com

July 27th, 2007

Many children today get treated for a lack of focus, called ADD or attention deficit disorder. Doctors prescribe them mind altering drugs with little knowledge of its long term effects on the human body. How do you feel about this solution? Where was ADD 100 years ago? 1,000 years ago? Huge epidemics of ADD don’t exist in our history books. So what changed? And what alternatives can you try? While some children do need medicine because of a chemical imbalance, most might benefit from simple exercises designed to develop focus and attention.

Focus and attention are more natural for some, but like all things, they need growth and development. Think of it like working out. If you have a goal to bench press 200 lbs, you must start with where you are at… not at 200 lbs. Right now, you may only be able to bench 100 lbs. But soon you go to 110 lbs, 120 lbs, 130 lbs, and so forth. Over time, you reach your ability of 200 lbs. It just takes a bit of commitment to make up the deficit.

What is a deficit in one’s attention? A deficit occurs when your attention is absorbed in a thought in your head rather than experiencing the moment. When you are fully present, you do fine. Action is effortless and spontaneous. When your attention is lost in thought, you find yourself bumping into things, being distracted, and forgetting why you came into a room. Regardless of how well your attention has developed, there is opportunity for growth. So try a few of these exercises out.

1. A Small Notepad - Observe yourself for a day. Carry around a little notepad and mark down all the times you find yourself distracted. If one day sounds like a lot of work, start smaller. Try it for a few hours. But go through with it. You can setup a little reward at the end of the day for your diligence. I like ice cream myself.

2. Do Yoga - Not only does Yoga help balance your energy (which is why people feel so relaxed after) but it helps you grow your ability to focus. If you feel weird about doing yoga with others, do it at home. Buy an inexpensive DVD online or at a local video store.

3. Observe Life for 20 minutes - That’s it. Just be here. Observe the colors, shapes, and textures you see. Feel the wind or warmth on your skin. Smell the smells. Hear the sounds. Just observe it.

4. Watch for the Wakeup Bump - Thoughts tend to flood the mind and absorb attention. They come up out of nowhere and can be difficult to let go of. When lost in one of these thoughts, you may accidentally bump into something or someone. This is a great thing! It will reminder you to wake up and regain focus. It will bump you awake every time.

5. Stay a Beginner - To become a master, you practice the beginner’s steps with consistency. So always practice bringing your attention into the moment, experiencing it with your senses, allowing thoughts to come and go, and taking baby steps toward a better future.

Any sort of strained focus has been counter-productive in my experience. The point of these exercises is develop a relaxed attention. Allow your attention to be in the moment. But don’t force it.

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