Read this on galpod.com.
Distractions surround us. There are no ifs or buts about it. I don’t think it’s coincidental. I think distracting ourselves is easy; much easier than, say, dealing with our feelings or with what’s happening in the world around us.
Sometimes, that’s ok. And I won’t ask you to deal with world events or even your feelings today. But I thought it would be an interesting experiment with noting distractions. I recommend setting a timer, but I won’t be strict regarding length: it can be 5 minutes or 30; that’s up to you. If you’ve never done meditation or mindfulness exercises before, I recommend starting with 5-10 minutes. It can get overwhelming.
Start with your body. What distracts you? Your sitting position? Hunger? Cramps?
Move on to external stimuli: sounds, smells, temperature? Do any of these distract you? What objects are in your line of sight? Do you have unpaid bills on your desk? A dying plant? I have both, plus two notebooks, a couple of my son’s school papers that I need to return to him, and my phone, the greatest distraction of all.
Now, continue to your mind space. What distractions does your mind come up with? Cooking dinner? Something someone said last week? The futility of human existence? Make a list of EVERYTHING. We are not doing anything with these today. We just list them. Get them all out.
When your timer is up, if you feel like it, you can reflect on the list. Did anything surprise you?
Hey there! I would love to hear whatever you're willing to share that came from the prompt. Please comment below or click on the chat window, even if it's only to tell me that you've found this prompt useful (or ridiculous).
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