Meditation to the Rescue: Reclaiming Attention Span in the Digital Age

 

In our fast-paced, information-rich world, it seems that our attention spans are shrinking faster than my paycheck around these gift-giving holidays. Tick tock ticktock go our brains at the blinding and blurring speed of TikTok. And let me tell you, the consequences are quite severe. Let’s take a stroll (not a scroll) through some thoughts on the problem and an age-old remedy.

 

The Terrible Consequences of our Goldfish-Like Minds

First off, all this constant task-switching and screen-staring is taking a serious toll on our physical and mental health. Stress levels are ceaselessly skyrocketing and sleep is suffering in both quality and consistency. We’re suffering from headaches and eye strain like never before. It’s like our minds and bodies are stuck in a quick-cut spandex and fog machine-crazy ’80s music video – all jittery and out of sync.

And it gets worse. This attention deficit that’s plaguing our population is interrupting and disrupting our ability to think deeply, to feel joy, and perhaps most crucially, to empathize with our fellow humans. Think about it – Honestly, can you really understand what someone’s going through if you can’t even focus on their story for more than 30 seconds?

Have you noticed how our storytelling skills have taken a hit lately? It’s like we’ve all gotten tangled up in a web of short, disconnected, and tangled threads. These threads carry story, meaning, wisdom, and understanding from person to person and from one generation to the next. The long story requires long threads. We no longer watch a movie without pausing. We don’t read full articles and their sources; we opt for a summary. We don’t tell long jokes or write long stories – it’s all rapid-fire punch lines, Skip Intro, and scroll scroll scroll. We think the gist is the thing itself so we listen to the talking head’s podcast clip. The clip itself, of course, is itself but a hint at the source material’s depth. All of this is a recipe for an Empathy Crisis of epic proportions. And the oven has been preheated.

 

Meditation to the Rescue!

 

Still with me?

These days, I have to check. What can we do? Turns out, the ancient practice of meditation is science’s new BFF. When it comes to restoring of our attention spans and reconnecting with our fellow humans, meditation shines brightly.

 

Did you know?

Meditation is not just a way to relax, it’s also a brain workout! Studies show that regular meditation can actually change the structure of our brains. Yes, physically change! These structural changes enable us to grow better the skills of awareness and focus. As little as ten minutes a day can help us stay on task and reduce mind-wandering. That’s about twenty Instagram Stories or a dozen Tik-Toks. You know you have that kind of time!

 

Like and Subscribe!

Be like your colleague with the busy home life and fast-paced career but who is always unperturbed and remains a lasting icon of serenity. She’s meditating regularly. It’s her secret power! Subscribe to a brief daily oasis of meditation. Meditation’s benefits go beyond just attention – meditation also helps us become more emotionally intelligent. Meditation gently trains us to be (more fully) present and to appreciate tuning in to our internal experiences. Meditation enhances our capacities for active listening, emotional processing, & true perspective-taking. Basically, it turns us into Jedi masters of empathy. You can even wear the cool robe if you want!

 

Meditation Techniques that Really Work

Okay, so how do we get our Zen on and start reaping these attention-boosting, empathy-enhancing benefits? Much of the relevant modern research points to a few key meditation techniques:

1. Focused Attention Meditation (FAM): The OG of meditation techniques. Simply pick a single and simple object to focus on - like your breath, the dog curled by the fireplace, or a candle's slowly flickering flame. Now, gently bring your wandering mind back whenever it starts to drift. Think of it like meditation's version of playing fetch with a dog. The keys to unlock this practice are Gently and Playing; now re-read the above description.

2. Open Monitoring Meditation (OMM): This one's a bit trickier, but it can seriously upgrade your mental flexibility. (A bit of confidence in FAM is advised before trying OMM.) Instead of zooming in on one thing, we observe all of our thoughts and sensations with a more open, non-judgmental awareness. It's like being the world's chillest security camera. No preferences for what is witnessed and no aversion...simply witnessing. The security camera doesn't process anything it sees and it doesn't miss anything in view. Let's disconnect our security camera from our recording and alarm systems. The camera can stay powered up but it won't pass on what it sees to the high-strung first responder who is trying to enjoy some time off.

3. Body Scan Meditation: This one is a great starting point, especially for newbies in the meditation community. Simply systematically move your attention through different parts of your body, tuning in to the body's subtle sensations. The flow of life is here...everywhere within us. It may gurgle and burble, it may warm and tire. This one is more like the security guard than the security camera. Slowly walking around, trying not to miss anything but not getting bogged down in all the activities of a building after closing time. It's amazing how much is happening in a building when no one's home. Same for your body. This is a concrete, grounding practice that can help quiet that otherwise everpresent mental chatter.

The key to all meditation is consistency – three to five (maybe ten) minutes a day can work wonders. And research shows that a consistent morning practice tends to be the most effective for boosting attention throughout the day. So maybe ditch the TikTok scroll and opt for some mindful meditation instead. Your brain (and your friends and loved ones) will thank you.

 

A Meditation-Fueled Future

Bottom line? Look, we live in a world where our attention is constantly being pulled in different directions. Not only is it pulled but it is freely given. We offer our attention outside of ourselves more and more reflexively and more and more often. We then tend to blame the place of our attention for having taken our attention. If we are honest (really honest, now), we might see that we bear some responsibility here for our attention finding its way there. Remember: each Breath arrives only Here and each Breath departs only from Here. The Breath will always remind us of Here. Follow it home. Ahhhh…

Guess what? Meditation can help us challenge all that distraction and reunite us with our ability to deeply focus, genuinely connect with others, and empathetically understand them better.

It won’t be easy, and it may require us to put down our phones for more than 30 seconds at a time. (The horror!) But trust me – your mind, body, & relationships will be better for it. Healthier. So let’s get meditating, my friends – the fate of our attention spans, and our humanity, depends on it.

 

Stephen Watson, the author, may be contacted at FarmingOurSomedays@Gmail.com or via SomedayFarm.org. An online course on Focused Attention Meditation and designed for beginners is in the works. Reach out to secure your spot!