please help me to solve the problem. Under the cut a lot and messy.
I am terrified of being the center of attention. To say toasts, congratulate, perform on stage, solemnly present gifts - all possible situations when the attention of all those present is directed at me, whether it be 15 close friends and buddies or 90 people at a wedding. The last time an attempt to get me to say a toast after graduation ended in hysterics for 2 hours. Recently, at a wedding, I persuaded the host not to touch me in advance, and while I was persuading me, I almost burst into tears. On the DR of a friend, everyone presented gifts, leaving the circle to the birthday man one by one. I was thrown into heat and cold, I could hardly force myself to hand over a gift at the most hectic moment, since it could not be avoided.
Strangely enough, this does not apply to presentations (perhaps because I make presentations for work, in English. And since I speak a non-native language, it seems like it’s not me, but someone else. Probably.), on conversations with strangers - too. Only for congratulations, toasts and creative performances. I don't go dancing with rare exceptions, I don't participate in competitions, I can hardly be a "model", although I used to be constantly photographed both in the studio and outdoors. Terribly shy, afraid and worried.
The phenomenon intensified after the hysteria in the pulpit, because now I know how it will end, and I am even more afraid. I tried to drink a sedative before an event where increased attention is possible, but this is somehow not good, it does not combine with alcohol and generally interferes with fun. Alcohol does not help me not to be afraid. I tried to imagine that it was not me and there were not people around - it did not help. The mantra that all around are my friends, adequate people and will not laugh does not work.
It turns out that I trust fellow scientists, because I think that in the international scientific environment there are more polite and tolerant people than those with whom I meet here. I don’t know, maybe if I have to be in an informal company abroad, I will also be attacked by terrible shyness, but so far we have not gathered more than 5 people there and there have been no problems.
As a result, we have a vicious circle: I am shy of increased attention, I panic and "fail" just when all the attention is on me. The failure makes me even worse and scarier, because I worry that they are all laughing to themselves. Therefore, next time I'm even more scared ... And at the same time I start to get very worried before some especially important conversation with the authorities, for example. I also blush, turn pale, stutter, I speak very quietly and inconsistently, and tears well up.
Where it came from, I don't know. I've always not really liked going on stage, but I don't remember ever failing with particular bang.
Hello. Please help me determine what is happening to me is it the result of prolonged stress, or something else.
Next, I will write in detail about what happened to me.
For quite a long time he experienced stress, periodically falling into depression. It started when my parents separated. Moreover, it was not constant, there were bright moments, moments when depression disappeared and moments of joy came. In general, everything could have ended well, but something went wrong ... For the last 2 weeks, depression has intensified due to the fact that grades at school were not very good and at the end of the quarter I had to work hard, study a lot. There were strong loads on the brain + experiences. As luck would have it, at the same time, some problems of a personal nature occurred, due to which obsessive thoughts appeared, depression intensified. The tension grew and eventually reached a peak. On Sunday, the 28th, the brain just picked up the brain and seemed to turn off. It happened while watching one ridiculously stupid video (I don’t know if it’s important, I’m writing just in case). Concentration of attention has strongly decreased, memory and the general ability to think have strongly worsened. The things that had previously pleased me ceased to please, the sense of humor almost disappeared, the body became relaxed, muscular joy disappeared. After that, he was very frightened and the next day from all this he almost fell into a panic. Thoughts began to swirl in my head that I could become disabled, and so on. Emotions are gone. It just didn't care at all. I stopped liking music (for me it is important, I do it professionally). There were no thoughts in my head at all. It happened that I just looked at one point and did not think about anything. In the afternoon of the same day, I immediately went to the neurologist. After examining me, she, after a little thought, said that I had a panic-phobic disorder (like so). Has appointed or nominated to spend on drink sedative "ataraks" and to prick korteksin and meksidol. She said it was just a side effect of depression that would soon pass. It seems to me that this is not so, and here the matter is something else .... Cortexin pricked for 2 days. It has 0 effect. Mexidol pricked. From him there was a strong excitability, which only worsened my condition. "Atarax" helped. At the moment, managed to overcome depression. I calmed down, but mental abilities did not improve.
Affected mainly concentration, memory and banal ability to think. It is not possible to take and, for example, draw up a plan for something. My intellect has decreased, and as a result, my emotions have dulled. Now only the most banal things bring joy (delicious food). It became difficult for me to talk to people. I can sit and just look at one point without thinking in my head. Gone is the sense of humor that used to be just perfect. Decreased sex drive. And what is most important, when I try to think about it, "wiggle my brain" in the front of the head, heaviness begins. In my head, as it were, a brick that crushed all my thoughts and which I am unable to move. Based on the symptoms, he prepared several theories as to what became of me. Once there was a throbbing pain in the left front of the head.
I would like to note that I write all this intuitively. For example, I can’t think about something, think about the plan of this whole essay. I am by nature literate and good preparation in the Russian language also affected. HAVE NEVER DOED DRUGS, NEVER DRINKED OR SMOKED. I lead a sedentary lifestyle (I know that I’m trying hard to eradicate this in myself), I often sit at the computer. At the same time, I do sports at home. There is sports equipment. As for mental activity, it is very uneven. Basically there are 2 options: either I'm trying my best to do something, or I'm playing the fool. I would like to say that my memory was getting worse before that and there were moments when I could look at a book and read, while thinking about something else and not understanding what I was reading. There are strange habits: washing hands often, twisting hair, sniffing fingers after touching something with them. THERE IS A DISPOSAL OF THE NECK VERTEBRAE.
I know that I may have turned to the wrong place and that neurologists deal mainly with such problems, but on the site of neurologists, the moderator, for some reason I do not understand, refused to publish the message. Besides the neurologist to whom I went has advised to address to the psychologist. I beg you, please help me in any way you can. I don't know who else to turn to. Moderator, please post this.
In what follows, I list possible reasons for this. You can not read although I recommend reading.
1) I have a displacement of the cervical vertebrae. Diagnosed a long time ago. At first I was treated, did exercises, wore a corset, but later I forgot about it. I was worried about pain in the region of the spine and cervical vertebrae recently. It happened that pain flared up, and strong, but it passed rather quickly, so I did not attach much importance to it. It is possible that something happened to the vessels of the naked brain and blood circulation, blood flow to the brain was disturbed. What have I not read about this disease. And from the very beginning it seemed to me that this is the most likely assumption.
Even before this unfortunate event, I had such that I could just look at one point and, as it were, turn off my brain in order to remove all bad thoughts. But I didn't know it was that serious.
ZY I shook off the dust from the corset and began to wear it again. Although it may be too late.
2) Acquired dementia or an early stage of this disease. My conc got worse. attention, intelligence ability and memory. Nevertheless, I am still able to adequately do everything, to do things that are familiar to me. Just can't think about it like before.
3) Neurosis. At first I was 100% sure that it was him. The symptom is there. However, things have more or less improved now. The depression is gone. And in general, at the moment (at the moment. Maybe the drugs have worked), psychologically everything has settled down. I managed to collect the remnants of willpower in myself and stop thinking about things that scare me (and what if the brain does not return to its previous norm, and what if everything gets worse and I become disabled) There was a decrease in working capacity.
Remember school. Any lesson, let's say - geography. Marivanna is working - with a concentrated look she tells about something important, pointing at the map on the board with a pointer. And what about the audience? Someone is listening. Someone is looking out the window. And someone (usually in the back row) is having fun folding paper airplanes out of notebook sheets and launching them around the class, or “imperceptibly” sneaks through the row to pass a note. The teacher is indignant - is it really difficult to listen?
It turns out it's difficult. Inability to sit still for a long time or concentrate on some process may be a sign of what is known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, sometimes referred to as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Previously, this was only talked about as a problem that occurs in children, as a rule, not older than 16. But in the last couple of decades, researchers have recognized that a nuisance that caused problems in learning at a tender age can also manifest itself in adults, preventing them from living and working. and build relationships.
What it is?
ADHD is a neurological behavioral disorder with such symptoms:
- difficulty concentrating,
- increased activity
- poorly controlled impulsivity.
Again, it has traditionally been considered that among boys, ADHD occurs 2 times more often than in girls. Modern research shows that this is not entirely true. The fact is that young ladies, as a rule, are more diligent. In other words, they strive more to be good - obedient daughters, good students. Therefore, some of us may have experienced this syndrome in childhood, without even knowing it - it happens that girls, trying to behave correctly and study better, one way or another overcome the symptoms of ADHD. And - lo and behold - difficulties with concentration can go away forever. But in some cases - according to various sources, this happens in 50-60% of those who experienced the syndrome in childhood - problems can remind themselves of themselves when we become adults.
“According to statistics, the frequency of manifestation of ADHD among schoolchildren in different countries is from 3 to 12%, in the adult population - 4–5%. It is known that both the genetic predisposition and the environment in which the child grows and develops are responsible for the development of the syndrome. Considering that the generation of the difficult 90s has grown up, an increase in the prevalence of the syndrome among adults can be assumed, however, no epidemiological studies have been conducted in our country,” says Konstantin Makhinov.
“The syndrome arises due to some peculiarities at the level of the brain structure,” continues Mark Sandomirsky, Ph.D., psychotherapist of the European Registry. – In such children, the development of the coordination of the activities of its different sections is a little different: the left, “logical”, and the right, “emotional”, hemispheres are not sufficiently consistent with each other, there may be some “skew” in their work. In addition, the activity of the cerebral cortex, its higher sections (which we, let's say, think) and deep structures (brain stem), which activate, “awaken” these higher sections, are not fully coordinated. If such a child or adult sits still for a long time, is focused on one thing, he can just fall asleep, so he “excites” himself with restlessness or switching attention.
What happens to the child: he cannot sit still for a long time, starting to complete the task, he is quickly distracted, in conversation he interrupts, tries to answer the question without listening to the end, hardly waits for his turn in anything. And it is often even more difficult for those who have already left childhood.
What are the cons
“From the inside, it feels like driving in the rain with broken wipers. Or how to listen to the radio, in which all channels are broadcast at the same time, ”for example, people with ADHD describe their condition on the Web. Things lost or forgotten somewhere, bills not paid on time, chaos in the house and on the desktop, lateness, unfinished business, broken promises ... Plus, another kind of “adult” problems associated with emotional instability are added.
“Such people have not only sudden changes, but also long periods of low mood, a tendency to depression,” says Mark Sandomirsky. According to Konstantin Makhinov, citizens with ADHD are at risk of developing various kinds of addictions, including alcohol and tobacco. Psychotherapist Sandomirsky agrees with the neurologist: “They sometimes use alcohol or other substances to cope with emotional difficulties. It must be borne in mind that this is not alcoholism or drug addiction in the usual sense, but an attempt to help oneself. And we are silent about possible problems with excess weight: sitting on the sofa with a large bag of chips or cookies, a person may not notice how he will eat everything to the crumbs, although he did not plan anything at all.
We continue the list - possible difficulties in relations with others. So, children are usually forgiven for spontaneity and emotional instability. But now the youngster has grown up - and what is everyone around watching? People with ADHD touchy, conflicted, it seems to them that they are not understood- and sometimes this is true. Well, the truth is, extravagance of behavior, eccentricity of thinking, mood swings will not cause puppy delight in everyone you meet. And then, the people around are unaware that all the described “horrors” of behavior are just the characteristics of a person, and not, roughly speaking, indifference and unwillingness to be collected. “Add here a difficult, for obvious reasons, relationship with oneself - and all this will lead to problems with self-esteem, most often to its underestimation,” says Mark Sandomiersky.
All this does not contribute to an “easy” personal life (or rather, maintaining a stable relationship). “Serial marriages are not uncommon, when people form and terminate unions every few years,” says Mark. - Men suffer from it less. In women, self-esteem drops even more. “Something is wrong with me, I can’t start a family,” the lady thinks. What about at work? Even when they are good professionals, people with ADHD often change jobs. If relations in the team do not add up, colleagues do not understand and do not accept their behavior, then women are especially worried - for them this microclimate is more important than for men.
There are pluses
However, we will not continue to exaggerate. Moreover, in this state there are excellent pluses. First, a person with ADHD is often a bright, unusual person who (ironically) draws attention to himself. “The brain has powerful compensation mechanisms,” explains Mark Sandomierzsky. “In an attempt to overcome difficulties, features become strengths.” Such people often find themselves in creative work or, conversely, in the field of IT (remember the bias towards the left hemisphere). They make good crisis managers or startups. These characters will hardly like to perform routine, monotonous work, but making a new project or finding an interesting solution is a task for them. True, having quickly (as a rule) achieved success in the next case, these citizens just as quickly cool off towards it and strive in search of the unknown.
How to be?
And for starters, how to understand that you or someone close to you has ADHD? “The diagnosis of this condition is based on the clinical picture (however, sometimes additional examinations are required to confirm the diagnosis). The disease is manifested by two main symptoms: inattention (a person is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli, it is difficult for him to concentrate, he often loses things) and hyperactivity-impulsivity (talkative, cannot calmly stand in line, answers a question without thinking and without listening to it), explains Konstantin Makhinov. “At the same time, these signs are detected not only at school, at the workplace, but also at home.” Since the first symptoms occur before the age of 7, a pediatric neurologist should be the specialist to help deal with this. For a mature person, the strategy changes a little - it is better to be under the supervision of a psychotherapist / psychologist and plus the same neurologist.
In adulthood, ADHD manifests itself only if it was already in childhood - even if the diagnosis was not made then. Therefore, at the doctor's appointment, you will have to remember whether there were similar problems at school and before it. It is interesting that their reappearance can provoke some kind of change in life: for example, marriage or, conversely, divorce, transition to a more responsible position, acquiring offspring.
“There are a number of treatment approaches that include medication, behavioral and educational therapies,” Konstantin says. - The second usually complements the medication and includes work on organizational skills. It may also be helpful to teach the patient a number of techniques aimed at focusing attention. But sometimes all this is a long work.
Mark Sandomierski gives some advice.
- Turn childhood difficulties into adult virtues, develop your own characteristics.
- Work with self-esteem, get rid of an inferiority complex (well, you don’t have to be “like everyone else” at all, everyone has the right to individuality).
- Fight mood swings, develop emotional self-regulation skills and techniques, learn to relax.
- Age regression helps. These are exercises in which an adult feels like a child again, re-experiencing his childhood states - work, as a rule, is carried out under the guidance of a psychologist or psychotherapist.
Concentration of attention
These tips from doctors, psychologists, and people living with ADHD are meant to help anyone who has trouble concentrating at times.
- write down
Make lists of everything you need to do, important and unimportant, urgent and not so urgent. At the same time, it is better to start with global opuses (for example, for a month), then break them into weekly ones, then - for every day. To-do list for tomorrow is worth checking the night before, and then marking the completed items. For some, a smart board with post-it sheets or squares of paper attached with buttons helps. It can be hung in front of the desk or by the bed. The work is finished - the sheet is removed from the board. - Divide
As you pounce on each new task, break it down into a few simpler goals and determine the order in which they make the most sense to complete them. A primitive example is to dismantle a littered table. First: put away unnecessary papers and garbage. Second: collect the necessary pieces of paper. Third: sort the latest, and so on. So a task that at first seems difficult - that is, such that you don’t want to start it at all (and the table remains littered with weeks), ceases to look impregnable. - Take breaks
During work, rest every hour and a half (someone needs a break at intervals of 30 minutes). Not in order to be distracted from business even more often, but in order to learn how to deal with them not when necessary, but when necessary. In this “free” time, it is better to be distracted, walk, and finally do exercises. Plunging into work again, evaluate what has been done and what remains - this will cheer you up. - remind yourself
Are you afraid to leave your home, leaving it unlocked or with the appliance on? Hang a note on the door: "Iron, light, keys, window, water" - and refer to it when leaving the apartment. The main thing is that the piece of paper does not flash past the eyes at the exit. And from time to time rewrite the list on a piece of paper in a new color and in a new order, so as not to get used to and not perceive the action as a formality. - Show forethought
Find out (and write down in several places) the phone numbers of the metro and surface transport lost and found offices. Try not to take documents with you unnecessarily - use copies. - Rely on those around you
Let's say you often lose phones, wallets, notebooks and other important things. Sign all the items that you would not want to lose. The experience of the public shows that in most cases, the person in whose hands the lost item ends up will gladly return it to the owner if they find a contact that can be contacted. - Throw away everything superfluous
If it is difficult to concentrate during work, before getting down to business, try to neutralize distractions. Close the tabs with social networks and instant messengers on your computer. Remove unnecessary books and papers from the table. Conversations of colleagues are distracting - abstract with earplugs. For some, music interferes even more, for others, a calm melody in headphones helps not to listen to the negotiations of neighbors. Set yourself a specific time when you will check your personal mail and read your friend feed - say, three times a day: in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening. - Find an outlet for excess energy
This is if your obsessive friends are impulsiveness and hyperactivity. Try to find a hobby that gives the energy couple an outlet. It can be dancing, running, other physical activity. Our expert Mark Sandomirsky advises Kundalini Yoga and Dynamic Qigong. True, with ADHD, before seriously engaging in some kind of sport, it is worth consulting with a doctor. - Ask for help
If you are worried that you will forget an important thing, ask a friend to call you at a certain time and “make sure” that the thing is in the bag. If you are afraid to think and pass the desired stop - ask a pleasant-looking neighbor in transport to tell you when to get off. And at the same time, it is not at all necessary to tell everyone the details of your subtle mental organization. Some adults with ADHD admit that tasks that require special concentration are better for them when someone close is simply standing by, as if silently reminding them not to be distracted. But, of course, if some business fails over and over again, despite all the tricks and tricks, you should seek the advice of a neurologist, psychologist or psychotherapist.
Today we’ll talk about how to develop concentration of attention, about methods for improving it, the word “optimization” involuntarily comes out :), but, as you understand, this post is more about psychology and life hacking, although, of course, it also affects Internet marketing.
Did you know that while reading, a person’s attention is quite scattered and succumbs to external stimuli. On average, from 20% to 40% of the total time spent on this action, you are in a completely different place.
But if in the case of absorption of information there is always the opportunity to return and re-read the missed material, then in the workflow the negative effect of losing focus on a specific task is much more significant. How to develop concentration of attention to increase your efficiency?
Distracted attention negatively affects the quality of work and the time it takes to complete it. Consciously controlling attention to a specific goal is a rather difficult task and, as practice shows, exhausting, but knowing the principles of functioning and physiology of the central nervous system, and, in turn, concentration, you can easily cope with this problem.
2 parts of the brain responsible for controlling attention
Before we get straight to the question of how to train concentration, to the cause of absent-mindedness and reduced ability to concentrate on a particular task, we should understand how our brain functions. Daniel Kahnman in his book "Think Slowly, Decide Fast" divides the brain into 2 systems (conventional name: System 1 and System 2)
System 1—our subconscious mind—functions non-stop without our efforts; reacts to external and internal stimuli, as a result of which it generates a urge or impulse to a certain action - for example, turn around when you hear your name. System 2 (consciousness) is a critical, rational and conscious thought processes and is a kind of processor of urges emanating from System 1 - if we return to the example of a person’s reaction to turn around when they hear their name, then it is System 2 that decides to either respond or ignore a potential interlocutor .
To summarize: System 2 is responsible for all processes that require awareness and application of willpower, while System 1 is a reflective, subconscious part of the brain that directly responds to external stimuli and creates certain urges to act. In this picture, you can quite clearly see the functions of both systems.
(System 1 is the red part of the brain; System 2 is the gray part of the brain.)
Causes of loss or deterioration of concentration
System 2 of our brain is responsible for thought processes, and it is with the help of our consciousness that we concentrate on a specific task or object. The fact is that our conscious mind is affected by many external sources of distraction or interference, which in turn makes the task of focusing quite difficult.
In his book Focus: The Hidden Power of Excellence, Daniel Goleman divides sources of distraction into two types: sensory and emotional.
While sensory stimuli—noise, visual stimuli, etc.—can be dealt with rather easily by physically eliminating them, the emotional causes of the loss of concentration caused by System 1 of our brain are dealt with in a completely different way.
Emotional stimuli (internal dialogue, stream of thoughts about events in our lives) are caused by pressing problems, stresses, frustrations, etc. - we all know how hard it is to get to work when the emotional burden of domestic problems completely occupies our mind, and you are tormented by the question of how to increase attention.
Attempts of will to forget about problems and concentrate on the task at hand will further deplete mental reserves and, most likely, will not be successful. In addition, our minds tend to focus specifically on negative and disturbing tasks and events, since they are extremely important, and System 1 strives to solve them as soon as possible.
AT this case do not try to block the source of discomfort - quality recovery and rest are the best ways to regenerate mental abilities and improve concentration.
How to restore concentration?
Your brain needs recovery and rest in the same way as muscles after exhausting physical exertion; like the body, the mind cannot function fully when overworked and exhausted. But if the body needs a certain period of time to fully regenerate, mental resources are restored in simple, pleasant and effective ways. How to develop concentration of attention?
The exercises below should be incorporated into your daily routine to help prevent distraction and maintain healthy System 2 functioning.
1. Meditation
Since the purpose of meditation is to focus attention while realizing the very fact of your absent-mindedness, constant efforts will very quickly have a positive effect on the quality of concentration - soon it will be much easier for you to concentrate on a specific task and prevent loss of attention. In addition to improving concentration, meditation helps reduce stress levels, improves memory and creativity, and increases the amount of gray matter in the brain - which as a result has a positive effect on emotional stability and positivity of emotions.
How to increase concentration? Effective advice regarding meditation: do not assume that it takes several hours to spend outside this world - by devoting 10-15 minutes to meditation at work, you will be able to restore and clear your consciousness quite well.
2. Walks in nature
The author of the book "Concentration: The Hidden Ingredient of Excellence" Daniel Golman advises spending time in nature - walks help restore nervous processes through a kind of disconnection from the hustle and bustle; also during the experiment it was proved that a walk through the streets of the city is inferior in its usefulness to time spent in the park - a place more remote from irritants and less stimulating mental activity. The closer you are to nature and the farther away from the bustle of the city, the better you will be able to restore your "mental reservoir".
3. With your head in your favorite pastime
How to increase the level of attention while having fun? By immersing yourself in your favorite activity, you can easily restore the resources of your rational thinking system, while your attention is focused on a simple, non-mental task. For example, by playing the popular and well-loved Angry Birds app, you will give your full attention to a simple and fun game, while the internal dialogue that consumes mental resources will be stopped, allowing your mind to recover.
Instead of a conclusion
Both the quality of our work and the possibility of doing it at all depend on our ability to concentrate. In addition, the inability to focus and absent-mindedness not only negatively affect performance, but also emotional and mental health, which worsens even more as a result of attempts to concentrate by volitional effort.
Remember the ways of mental regeneration and the basic principles of the brain and how to improve attention. The exercises in this article may help you.
For the healthy and efficient functioning of consciousness, the well-being of mental resources should be monitored as carefully and carefully as the body. Keep your mind in good shape, and it will thank you for efficient work, good mood and creative ideas.
Exercises and tips on how to improve mindfulness. Train your attention, and good results will not keep you waiting.
Remember Samuil Marshak's nursery rhyme about the absent-minded citizen from Basseinaya Street, who constantly forgot everything and mixed up everything, and instead of a hat wore a frying pan on his head?
But if this citizen knew, how to improve mindfulness, then there would be much less problems in his life.
If you do not want to repeat the fate of this literary hero, exposing yourself to universal ridicule because of the inability to concentrate, then this article will definitely come in handy for you.
Why practice mindfulness?
Some people think that if they do not leave the house in different socks and are able to remember the face of a new employee from the third time, then they have no problems with attentiveness and do not need to train anything.
How wrong you are.
It is impossible to see the whole picture without paying attention to the details.
If you are not able to concentrate on details at all, then run to train mindfulness.
Well, imagine that you witnessed some kind of crime and, as an honest person, decided to report it to the police.
But due to your carelessness, all you can say about the perpetrator is that it was a man.
You didn't remember the color of his hair, or his height, or approximate age, or what he was wearing.
You are standing in front of a policeman and you understand that you will not be able to make a sketch or identify the criminal, even if the police arrest him.
Because of your inattention, there will be more criminals on the streets of the city.
Of course, jokes are jokes, but mindfulness is a vital thing that helps in both professional and personal life.
I think those who are not very good at concentrating their attention are now nodding their heads in agreement.
That is why developing mindfulness is a top priority for absent-minded people.
Simple but effective ways to increase mindfulness
I understand that doing special exercises is boring, it’s a waste of time for them, and it’s hard to force yourself to do something - oh, how difficult.
But mindfulness will not improve on its own.
If you are really trying to figure out how to develop mindfulness, then you will have to put in some effort to achieve the goal.
Here are a few simple ways to start practicing mindfulness:
Keep a diary.
But try not to be snotty experiences “life is a poop, no one loves me”, but descriptions of events that happen to you, portraits of people you meet, buildings that impress you, etc.
Re-read what you have written from time to time and make changes if you remember any details.
If you have problems not only with attentiveness, but also with memory, then write down the first and last names of people you have met recently(you can even add a small description), addresses and phone numbers, to-do and shopping lists, etc.
Constantly work with the records, doing work on the mistakes.
Achieve the effect of constant presence.
That's how many times you floated away in your thoughts somewhere far away, disconnecting from what the interlocutor was saying, or hiding behind dark glasses and headphones from the noise of the minibus, completely withdrawing into yourself?
Stop doing it.
As soon as you catch yourself thinking that you are floating somewhere far away, immediately return back.
What prevents us from improving mindfulness?
Naturally, our main enemy is ourselves and our laziness.
The easiest way is to get rid of the phrase “I was born that way” and stop working on yourself.
If you like such a cowardly stance, then I have no objection.
If you do not want to play the role of an absent-minded person all your life, then you will have to work hard to.
If we talk about other factors that harm our mindfulness, then these are:
Various distractions.
Take, for example, the Internet.
No matter what page of the site you open, persistent advertising climbs into your eyes.
If you are just killing time on the Internet, then this is one thing, but all this terribly interferes with work.
Fatigue.
It is much easier to concentrate in the morning, when you have a good night's sleep, than in the evening, when you are already pretty tired.
You can stay productive and alert throughout the day if you get enough sleep and rest.
5 special exercises to increase mindfulness
Trying to find the answer to the question “How to improve mindfulness?”, persistent people are willing to spend their time and energy on special exercises.
If you are one of them, then here are some simple but effective techniques:
Look for 10 seconds at an unfamiliar picture with many details.
Now close your eyes and try to list all the details that you remember.
If you named less than 5, then you will have to train mindfulness for a long time.
Take a pencil in your left and right hand.
Draw geometric shapes with both hands at the same time.
Try to keep the size and shape of both drawings the same.
Look at this number: 489561348526419569724.
Now tell me, which of the three numbers that come in order add up to 15, 12, 22, 11, 13?
Place a clock with a second hand near the TV, which is broadcasting an interesting program.
Now look at the second hand for 2 minutes without looking at the TV screen.
When the time is up, retell to yourself what happened on the show while you were looking at your watch.
If you can't remember anything, then you haven't managed to develop mindfulness yet.
Take a long word, for example, "parallelogram" and make up as many small words as possible from its letters.
The video below shows 3 more effective exercises.
for mindfulness training:
How else can mindfulness be improved?
I'm sorry if you're under the misconception that mindfulness training is necessarily boring.
But this can be done with the help of an interesting game.
For example:
Game What has changed.
Meeting up with friends doesn't have to be a terrible drinking bout.
You can make good use of your time, especially if some of your friends suffer from a lack of mindfulness.
For example, in our company they loved such a game that helps to train mindfulness: one participant leaves the room, and the rest change clothes or accessories; when the member returns, indicates what has changed.
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Find the difference game.
If in childhood your parents subscribed to magazines for you, then you know that in almost every issue two pictures with slight differences were printed, and the kids were asked to find these very differences.
It is also interesting to play it in adulthood, especially since there are a lot of pictures that offer to train mindfulness on the Internet.
Here, for example, there are many such games online on this site: http://www.123igry.ru/igra/naidi_otlichiia_v_kartinkakh1/
