Where Your Attention Is Matters
“Where you spend your attention is where you spend your life.” James clear.
The above quote is one I refer back to over and over and over. When we focus our attention on something, not only does it consume us, but it has an affect on our behavior, our decisions, and how we interact with and curate the world around us. We create the world we live in based on where we place our focus. Full stop.
Let me give you movement related example.
People who are afraid of falling — whether it’s because people around them tell them to be careful, they’ve fallen before, or they feel unsteady while they walk — are at an increased risk of falling (source). If you’re afraid of falling, you likely stiffen your body which ultimately actually makes you less balanced. Your range of motion in your legs decreases while walking which causes you to walk slowly as well as feel less comfortable with your full range of motion during other tasks contributing to more stiffness. Your cognitive load increases which makes it harder and riskier to multitask. While you’re walking, you tend to look down and fixate on your next move instead of more efficiently assessing the path several steps ahead. ALL of these factors that result from your fear of falling actually increase your risk of falling. If you fall, your bias will be 100% confirmed, will make you more fearful, and the cycle continues.
I have a client who is very focused on her older age. When I first met her, she referred to her age frequently throughout the session in various topics of conversation. This focus has helped her determine that she cannot do certain things, such as take steps up big stairs or carry heavy items such as grocery bags like she used to. Within one session, I had her perform both of those tasks which she had told me an hour prior that she could not do. Our focus creates our lived experience.
It is not different when it comes to pain. The amount of attention and the nature of our attention to our pain has an enormous role in determining our lived experience. We choose to engage with our environment based on the attention we give our pain which has lasting effects on our well being. For example, do we favor one side regularly due to discomfort on the other when doing daily tasks? Do we ever get on the floor or avoid it? Do we bend our knees to grab something off the ground or do we maneuver a more cumbersome way? Do we take the stairs or the escalator? We also engage with our environment by the way we communicate with others. When we are in conversation, are we always referring to our aches and pains? Our old age? Are we in a revolving door of doctor’s visits and physical therapy appointments where our pains and disabilities are confirmed? All of these things have a time and a place in our lives, but it’s valuable to notice how much mental space they may be taking up and how that’s shaping your every day experiences.
keep moving.