Practicing Focus Might be an Art to Manage Your Mental Health Issues?
How are you really?
I am not hoping that you are okay because you might not.
But I hope you are in a condition where you are comfortable with the things you do and work today.
Saturday, September 18th, 2021
I had a chance to share about the things I am most concerned about in terms of getting your work done, which is “focus management.”
Some of my points of view are based on the book written by Christina Bengtsson called “The Art of Focus.” She talked about how we should practice focus management. Also, I watched her Ted Talk session on talking about the same topic. She shares her stories in life, how does she end up becoming a Swedish shooting world champion, lecturer, and officer in the Swedish army.
It was not about…
The physics,
The technique,
The relaxation, or
The breathing.
It is about the thoughts she thinks and why she think about them.
Because the world is full of distractions.
“Focus is so much more than achievement. In a longer perspective, focusing is the ability to, throughout all the different possibilities and distractions in life, dare to choose and to stick with your choices. To be able to see the value in what you’ve got, even though you want more. A life with focus doesn’t aim at accomplishing more — it’s about being just as good as you already are.”
Taking that into account, let me share my story of life about how I finally chose to practice focus management.
In 2011, I was diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder — a 13 years old boy who does not know how to handle it either. Years of training to get rid of my compulsive behavior. Years of yelling, years of trembling, years of crying, years of distraction. Until I manage my point of view about my condition.
In 2017, I had the time to think about what I should do in my life. Most importantly, how should I do with my OCD. I decided to have a deep reflection on the value I hold in my life.
There are promises and lessons I valued until this day.
- The world is full of distractions.
I can manage to focus on every intrusive distraction that is happening in my mind. I decided to create boundaries on which intrusive thoughts I could think about.
2. Remember the main problem is I have an obsessive mind
I can manage to handle myself on the things I am afraid to become or happen. Instead of creating the goals, I create minimums.
3. Not everyone can understand me
No matter how much I inform people, not all of them will understand. Instead of making myself fit with them or forcing them to fit with me. I create expectations.
Until 2019, I came back to my therapist, having an electroencephalogram (EEG) test and asking for another conclusion for my condition.
She said, “The only issue that is left is only about your obsessive thoughts. Your brain does not indicate something compulsive.”
Then I said, “Okay, then let me live with it.”
That is how I turn every distraction into one conclusion.
The world is full of distractions, and you can erase them. The only option is to live with them, but most importantly, how can you turn them into the border on the things you focus not a shadow that will distract you.
So, what’s the point?
As we talk about focus and distraction, the Human brain is struggling to focus in 3 distinctive ways.
- Disturbing thoughts “what if?”
- Focus on what we will achieve
- “I don’t have time!”
Then, how can you handle that situation of thinking and practicing focus management?
- Make yourself feel neutral-nervousness
Stop thinking about what if something negative or something positive would be the end results, focus on the things that are neutral and trust the process and have the courage to take your own decision.
2. Process is matters
Yes, we have goals and targets. But, we need to focus on what kind of future will be created by the things we decide to do today. So take accountability for something you do every day.
3. Do what you do now really well
You create your minimums with lateral thinking (find the best ideas out of thousands).
4. Work on your Zone of Genius
Communicate the things you can do to your team and yourself. By the end of the day, you know what you good at, and you understand where is your zone of genius. Do not feel intimidated by other people’s achievements, and you have your own pace. Do not let yourself be that one who is clueless about everything just because you followed other people ways of working which not your Zone of Genius.
5.Create to-do list + dont-do list
Instead of only creating a list of the things you should do, you need to create the things you do not need to do to generate boundaries on the things that might be a distraction.
I decided to share about these practices in this world mental health day due to a lot of my friends who also might suffering in mental health condition always feel intimidated and insecure about many distractions on their surrounding that makes them even suffered.
So, I hope it helps you a little.
I hope you have a good day.
I hope that you are still breathing with happiness even it only took a few minutes a day.
