4. That which distracts, divides the attention, or prevents concentration.
5. That which amuses, entertains, or diverts; amusement; entertainment.
What are my distractions?
- Television - I have a DVR and I know how to use it!
- Internet - who doesn't Facebook, Email, Skype, IM and Pinterest?
- Cell Phone - games loaded, apps on deck, texting fool.
- Trashy magazines? I read them...hey don't judge!
- TO DO lists...yes, I'm a list maker! Face a challenge right off the bat? Naaah, let me make a list of things I really need/want to get done first!
- Food Food Food Food Food Food Food Food Food
So during a session with my therapist, I revealed to her that I do a LOT of multi-tasking. Not just a little here and there...I mean a LOT of multi-tasking. For example, a typical evening for me might be to come home and fix something for dinner, take it to my room where I have my TV on and my DVR at the ready with my menu of shows I "need" to catch up on. I'll start one of the shows while my computer starts up. There I'll open multiple tabs...Facebook, Yahoo Email, Messenger, Pinterest, and Online Banking. As I sit there eating dinner and MINDLESSLY watching TV, I'll alternate between food, a tab on my computer and the show I've selected to START the evening. If something is of particular interest on my email, or a facebook post/video, I may pause my tv show long enough to focus on whatever actually got my attention then back to resuming the show that I've DVRd. Before I know it, my dinner is gone and I'm over full, uncomfortable and filled with shame because then I physically don't feel well and barely remember what I ate. Not to mention several hours have passed.
What is my reason for all the distracting? There are emotions I'm diverting my attention from. What those emotions are, I don't know yet but I'm going to work on figuring that out. HOW you say? By slowly but surely eliminating distractions. First to go? YUP! You guessed it! My Direct TV is going away. I've "suspended service" for six months at which time I'll make my ultimate decision as to whether I think TV is important enough to have. And if so, what kind of mindfulness will I use to prevent it from becoming or continuing to be a distraction. (i.e. - no more TV in my bedroom, livingroom only!) SO, effective February 3rd (HEY...I'm paid up til then!) I will no longer have cable TV. I know I know....I can still stream shows on Netflix and Hulu. It's likely I'll do that but not right off the bat and not to the degree I do now. I gotta start paying closer attention to what my body is trying to tell me and stop ignoring emotions. Imagine how much living I could do away from the television!
It's been said to me a couple of times and for some reason, it rang particularly true for me today..."Emotions motivate us to act." It's that fight or flight mechanism we have...if you're experiencing fear, it may be that you are in danger and you need to act in a way that will protect you from that danger. All emotions motivate some type of action wether it be a physical movement or an internal awareness/decision, there is action. NOW...what are my pushed (shoved, buried, covered, disguised, ditched, avoided, diverted, hidden) emotions trying to tell me? Here's to hoping to have an open ear to them and respect the purpose of the emotion.
It is so great you are focused on increasing your awareness of emotions, the driving force behind our automatic actions! Whether we are distracting or reacting from an emotion-mind space, becoming aware provides us choice and the ability to respond effectively. Not to mention, emotions provide insight and are our "lights on the dashboard" that indicate something is going on or is requiring our attention. Remember, emotions can't hurt us, but our response to them can. You're an inspiration and I value your openness and courage for sharing your journey!
ReplyDelete