If you find that your train of thought is often derailed, you’re not alone. A study of people’s ability to pay attention to what they’re doing showed that about 30% of the time, on average, you’re probably not thinking about what you’re doing. That’s if you’re lucky. For some folks, up to 80% of the time, their minds are elsewhere. This phenomenon of being preoccupied, distracted, and generally mindless can lead to all sorts of difficulties, not the least of which is the inability to get things done. However, a recent study of meditation—mindfulness training—showed that you can teach your mind to get back on track. This simple technique may significantly improve you ability to focus, pay attention, and work more effectively.
There are a lot of ways you can learn to use mindfulness for yourself. One of the best I’ve found is to listen to one of the podcasts from Zencast.org. This wonderful site includes an entire (and free) course on mindfulness meditation as well as abundant resources to help you learn to calm your mind.
Before you blow the idea of meditation off as hopelessly woowoo, consider what you miss by speeding blindly through your days. If you find that you’re having trouble sleeping, can’t settle down to work, or obsessively check your email or Blackberry, creating a habit of stopping to focus on your breath may be a genuine lifesaver for you. For certain, you’ll find that when you stop to simply breathe, you are much more present, relaxed, confident, and grounded.
