Are You Distracted?

If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. CS Lewis

Occasionally, we all have the experience of being distracted. Perhaps you’re trying to finish a creative project, sort through photos, or plan a vacation and you can’t seem to stay focused and complete what you set out to accomplish. If you’ve had a recent loss or other trauma, staying focused can be doubly difficult. There are many antidotes to this dilemma but today I’m posing just one.

Researchers in the United Kingdom found concentration can be improved after less than ten minutes of strolling through green space. They speculate that it’s the combination of gentle exercise and views of nature. The study found positive effects when the walker traveled through green space but not when the path wound by urban buildings with many pedestrians. No green space near you? Is all of nature covered in ice and snow? Another study found that even looking at pleasant photos of nature can increase both happiness levels and the ability to perform tasks involving creativity and problem solving. 

Affirmation: I can move beyond distraction.

Coaching questions: What distractions do you experience regularly? What’s your antidote? I challenge you to try out the “walking through green space” theory.  

Photo by Mickey O’neil on Unsplash