Are You Paying Attention?

What you are paying attention to matters.

You could be focusing your attentions on what’s in front of you, which could be a task or a person. Or you could be paying attention to what’s going on around you – taking in nature as you’re out walking along a pebbly beach, or being attuned to the impacts of climate change, pollution or social injustice. Wherever you put your attention makes you the person you are.

There are different types of attention … which I want to draw your attention to!

How attentive are you in your daily rituals and tasks? This is left brain dominated narrow focus. However, is your fine focus detracting from being open to new opportunities and making connections? This openness is a right brain dominated action.

These questions all form part of the ‘Align Your Mindset’ approach.

Once you recognise whether you’re more right or left brain dominant, you can learn to tap into them both, either simultaneously or by switching from one to the other nimbly and intentionally. Like changing your camera focus from close-up to wide frame and vice versa.

Understanding where your attention is and how it impacts your personal growth, and then recognising how to use both left and right brain attention, gives you better clarity in progressing towards your goals.

The Best of Both Hemispheres

In recent years, there has been some dissonance around the left and right brain hemispheres. Do read Iain McGilchrist’s books The Master and his Emissary and The Divided Brain – he explains that it takes both hemispheres in fact to achieve reasoning and imagination.

In coaching terms, it’s helpful to see how the brain is analytical on the one hand and more creative on the other. Let’s look a little deeper:

Left Brain Attention

The left brain allows you to pay close attention and get really focused. You’re not easily distracted, which is positive when you’re working on tangible steps to achieve your vision, values and goals.

In coaching, I help you to develop that focus, understand your priorities and work on them with passion and drive.

Right Brain Attention

The right brain is opening up your senses and seeing what’s around you. It’s removing the left-brain blinkers and drive to help everything make sense. This is the widening of your camera focus. You build a broader peripheral vision to actively take notice of your surroundings. Using your right brain helps you become aware of new possibilities, ideas and innovation. All without the restrictions of having to nail the contextual setting.

In coaching, I help you to tap into your internal sensors and open up your attention receptors, guiding you to notice those new opportunities that are all around.

As you tap into both attention types, allow yourself time to let your subconscious help you find the answers. How often have you slept on a problem to awaken with the answer right there?

Mindfulness Attention

Paying attention is an important aspect of mindfulness. It helps you to set your intentions, which in turn provides a sense of calm and purpose at the start of the day. Being mindful and attentive helps you to stop worrying about things you can’t change.

Being aware of where your attentions are is hugely beneficial. Here are some ways to achieve that:

·      Set your intentions for the day and commit to pursuing them  

·      Chunk work into smaller time frames and commit to doing one task 

·      Develop an awareness of where your attentions are at any time 

·      Allow yourself to daydream

·      Ask yourself ‘what if…’ questions 

·      If monkey thoughts occur during focussed tasks, make a note and bring your mind back to your task 

·      Open up your peripheral vision 

·      Consider how to broaden your inputs

·      Trial mindfulness – bring your attentions into everything you’re doing, even making coffee or brushing your teeth 

·      Connect fully with the people around you; trial tech-free family meals 

·      Develop the practice of ‘sleeping on it’ – if you’re stuck or overwhelmed, go for a 30-minute walk to reset 

How has all this got you thinking? How easy is it for you to switch between left and right brain focus? Where are your challenges? What new habits will you trial to maximise the impacts of your left and right brain attention?