How do we put our attention outside of ourselves?
- Over worrying about what other people think
- Over focusing on other people’s behaviour
- Over focus on work
- Watching too much TV
- Getting too involved in other people’s dramas
When all of my attention is out there, there isn’t much left for me. Although this might feel safer on some intuitive level, it leaves us feeling numb, tired, and neglected, leading to burnout.
When we tend to put our focus outside of ourselves, this is usually a learned behaviour. We have learned this as a survival strategy. Sometimes it is safer not to feel. But what do we do when we are adults, and we would like to start giving ourselves a bit more attention?
Start small. Think of one area outside of yourself where you know you are overfocused. How could I reduce that just a little and increase an area where I know I need to focus inwardly?
What are the options for focusing inwardly? Here are some ideas:
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Sitting quietly
- Identifying your needs
- Journaling
- Naming feeling
- Progressive body scan
- Self-hug
How do you turn your attention inward?
