Tuning Your Nervous System: The Art of Attention and Flow
Have you ever noticed how your attention seems to have a mind of its own? One moment you're focused, the next you're lost in a whirlwind of thoughts. This isn't just a quirk of your mind—it's the state of your nervous system dictating the tone of your life.
But here's the exciting part: you can train your attention to reshape these narratives and find your flow.
Think of your attention like a muscle. Just as you wouldn't expect to run a marathon without training, you can't expect sustained focus without exercising your attention 'muscle'. The key lies in understanding the Yerkes-Dodson law, which illustrates the relationship between arousal and performance.
Imagine an inverted U-curve. On one end, you have low arousal—you're too relaxed to focus. On the other, high arousal—you're too stressed to concentrate. The sweet spot, right at the peak of the curve, is where magic happens. This is your flow state, where attention becomes effortless and performance soars.
So, how do we train our attention to hit this sweet spot? Here are three approaches to bring to your next walk, run or gym session to get you started:
Eye play: During a working set, or as you pass a set point, focus your eyes in. Picture a circle in the distance as you send your attention to the circle with a general sense of maintaining your pace, technique, rhythm. At your set end point broaden your view, aim to take in what is in your periphery. Reconnect with your surroundings. Continue to move between these states.
4d sensing: Most ideal for an endurance activity like walking or cycling, then set an interval period of about 3-minute focus intervals with 1-minute recovery periods. During each interval, dive deep into a single sense: vision, smell, sound, taste, tactile and finally internal - shift your focus inward. How do your muscles feel? What's your heart rate doing? Can you sense the rhythm of your breath?
Mindful Movement: Incorporate attention training into your physical exercise. Whether it's yoga, running, or weightlifting, focus intently on each movement, your breath, and bodily sensations. This not only improves physical performance but also strengthens your attention 'muscle'.
Thoughts as strangers: As you go thoughts will pop into your mind an hook you. Some are even powerful enough to speed us up or slow us down. As you notice thoughts allow them to pass by like strangers. As a new one pops up allow it to not hook you and refocus on your reps or a circle in the distance.
Wander: Purposefully allow your mind to wander. Lactate crosses the blood brain barrier and helps us access memories. We also boost our serotonin and the hope molecule is present in the brain having traveled from our muscles to our brain. Our ideas solidify themselves.
Remember, the goal isn't perfection. Your mind will jump around—that's what minds do. The skill lies in noticing the wandering and bringing your attention back (unless that’s your planned session). Each 'wander' is an opportunity to strengthen your control over your nervous system's state.
By consistently practicing these exercises, you're not just improving focus—you're rewriting the stories in your nervous system. You're training yourself to navigate the Yerkes-Dodson curve with precision, finding that sweet spot of flow more often.
It's not about suppressing thoughts or achieving a blank mind. It's about becoming the conductor of your own symphony, choosing where to direct your attention and, by extension, shaping the tone of your life.
So, are you ready to tune your nervous system and unlock more flow in your life?