Release The Grip of External Distractions
External Distractions may not have the same weight as our Internal Distractions, but they come close. They steal our attention.
All external distractions have one thing in common, they clamor and shriek for us to pay attention to their existence. Oh we may think we don’t pay attention to them, but if they reach our ears then they reach our brain and our nervous system.
External Distractions affect us, even when we seem not tied to their siren call. Even when we are not connected to their pleading call we feel their presence. Noise equals vibrations in our environment.
We’re pounded by a relentless background noise in today’s world until we actively turn it off, until we actively summon quiet.
Cell Phones
The first distraction probably is no surprise to anyone living and working in the 21st century. it’s the ubiquitous cell phone.
It rings, beeps, vibrates and occasionally invokes AI to send us another in a countless stream of notifications.
Cell phones have become the master of our attention, while we have become the followers of a plastic, metal , glass and electrified jumble of yapping circuits.
Traffic Noise
When a large truck crosses the bridge it’s roar and pounding reverberate as it rolls over the expansions joints on the bridge. Bang Bang Bang.
Living anywhere near an urban area means you exist in a under current of traffic noise, a simmering soup of undefined noise often vibrating 24 hours a day.
I keep doors closed in rooms to muffle sounds at night and use noise canceling headphones to lesson the noise from degrading my attention. when writing or reading.
Blowers + Mowers
Growing up everyone mowed their lawn on Sat, the rest of the week was peaceful. Now my neighbors seem to hire landscapers for every weekday to mow and blow for hours.
Blowers, mowers, power tools and a myriad of mechanical tools screaming and pounding seemingly all day long have stolen our attention without our consent.
Progress is not the problem, it’s that our progress has created a need for constant maintenance, which creates noise.
Media Frenzy
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other online gathering sites are not an external distraction.
The pesky notifications appearing on our phones, laptops and smart TV’s grabbing at us are the distraction.
Without notifications social sites lose the power to pull at us, of course they remain an internal distractions for some of us, but that’s for a separate infographic to look at. See the Internal Distraction Infographic.
Advertising
Television, Radio, Streaming, Billboards, Shopping Malls, and a seemingly endless stream of buy buy buy assaults us externally, everyday.
At it’s core it’s all noise grabbing at our attention. It’s energy whose only purpose is to derail us from the present moment with promises (mostly false) of a better future if we purchase what they are selling (today).
If we stay in the present moment we will save energy, money and attention and the advertisers will be sad. Is that sad?
External Distractions Are Eternal
External Distractions are numerous and quite powerful in disrupting our focus and stealing our attention from the present moment and the present task at hand.
Distractions are eternal in relation to our existence, but with practice the external distractions will no longer have a grip on your attention or your ability to focus in the moment.
There’s no way out of here
David Gilmour
When you come in
You’re in for good
There are many tools available to stop you from accessing those media sites that dislodge you from paying attention to the present moment.
The most effective tool is to develop your focus and hone your attention so you don’t have to depend on 3rd party tools to block things for you.
So what’s the most powerful and effective tool? A daily Mindfulness Practice is the best avenue to travel to develop focus and attention.
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<p><strong>Please include attribution to MindfulnessCreates.Com with this graphic.</strong><br /><br /><a href=’https://mindfulnesscreates.com/infographics/external-distractions-infographic/’><img src=’https://mindfulnesscreates.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/external-distraction-info-sm.png’ alt=’External Distractions’ width=’1200px’ border=’0′ /></a></p>