Meditation is intermittent fasting for the mind. Too much sugar leads to a heavy body, and too many distractions lead to a heavy mind. Time spent undistracted and alone, in self-examination, journaling, meditation, resolves the unresolved and takes us from mentally fat to fit. Naval Ravikant
We are in the age of technology and information is coming at us from all angles. While we may feel like we are more productive, what cost is this having on our wellbeing? In what ways is technology completely rewiring our brains?
A study by Stanford University found that:
People who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information do not pay attention, control their memory or switch from one job to another as well as those who prefer to complete one task at a time.
Fragmented attention affects wellbeing.
Media multitasking fragments our attention and can affect our emotional wellbeing and the quality of our day to day activities.
The overstimulation of our brain fragments our awareness and brings a state of disharmony to the body. The opposite of this is a state called coherence which is described by the Heart Math Institute:
Coherence is a measure of the pattern in the heart's rhythm, and reflects an orderly and harmonious synchronisation among various systems in the body such as the heart, respiratory system and blood-pressure rhythms.
Claim your attention back.
To help our minds come back into a state of wholeness or coherence, we can include some simple activities in our daily routine.
Here are 7 ways to reduce the impact of technology on our wellbeing.
- Focus on one task at a time
- Engage with social media at specific times during the day
- Have mini-meditations throughout your work day where you close your eyes and focus on your heart for 2-3 minutes.
- Take time to exercise in nature ( leaving your phone at home) regularly.
- Meditate at least 5 minutes a day.
- Laugh with a friend over a good meal.
- Take time to sit quietly and listen for stillness.
Doing one or a combination of these activities above will go a long way to ensure your precious attention and energy are protected.
You will learn how to bring your attention back to one point so that it benefits not only your productivity but the quality of your interactions as well as your sleep and overall wellbeing.