Focus

One of those elusive concepts that is easier to discuss than it is to achieve. Focus and attention is often difficult since many of us have a thousand ideas racing through our mind at one time: What should I eat for lunch? When is that report due? Do I have time to exercise today? Did I shut the bathroom light off before I left?

When our brain is flooded with various thoughts, it is difficult to effectively achieve any one thing. We start to feel flustered and overwhelmed – worried that we will not be able to accomplish ALL of the activities we have due that week. When we were still in school, we thought the real-world would be less stressful because we would no longer have homework. However, how many of us would trade homework assignments for all of the responsibilities we have now like bills, family, friends, work, and the list could go on.

When I was a full-time student in graduate school balancing an internship, a full time job, an exercise routine and attempting to have a social life, seemed like an undoable task. I would look at my weekly calendar and immediately start feeling anxious about everything I had to do. I began to realize that there was no point in being stressed out about things I would have to get done anyway. The energy I used to waste worrying, I invested in being task-oriented. I began to feel far less tense and found myself having more free time because I was being more efficient when I was working.

This is often much easier said than done especially when trying to complete something that we especially despise. Taking the time to focus and then refocus is crucial. One particularly helpful tool you can use to center yourself is called 4-7-8 breathing. This Relaxing Breathing exercise was coined by Dr. Weil as a “natural tranquilizer for the nervous system

• Exhale completely through your mouth
• Close your mouth and inhale through your nose completely as you count to 4
• Hold your breath as you count to 7
• Exhale completely through your mouth as you count to 8
• Repeat 3-4 more times to get the full effect

Since breathing is something that is easy for us to control, it can help us reach a clear state of mind. This will make work easier and allow for a higher level of performance. For more information on Dr. Weil and his breathing techniques, please visit the following link:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART00521/three-breathing-exercises.html