Tell me, how is your concentration? Do you find it hard to focus on one thing?
Do you experience ‘chicken circle’ thinking?
Are you repeating the same unwanted thoughts over and over?
When you tune in to your brain and its chatter, is it mostly negative?

Want to improve your concentration?

Last week we looked at your breath, and the power it has to control your response to stressors, calm your nerves and build your resilience. This week we look at building your mental muscle of concentration.

Your brain can only concentrate on one thing at a time! Much of the time it is like a butterfly, flitting from one flower to another. Just for that second THAT flower is the most important, and then, oh! let’s go to this one.

Because of the constant bombardment of media, you have been trained to hop constantly from this buzz to this beep, to that flash.
NOTE THIS: Your brain can only focus / concentrate on ONE thing at a time.

Think of it as an on / off switch. Become conscious of when it is on and when it is off to a new stimulus. Your right hemisphere loves the unusual, and is quickly tempted by anything it deems more interesting than the more logical, repetitive function you may be requiring from your left hemisphere.

So, how is YOUR concentration?

How is your ability to focus your thoughts? If you do any form of meditation or mindfulness, you may already be experiencing the benefits of a focused mind.
If not, here is a simple activity that will bring your ‘right now’ brain function in to your awareness.

Richard Israel and Vanda North introduce you to ‘One!’

Richard was the co-author of Mind Chi and I love to share this moment when we explain the second of the 8-steps of Mind Chi – to focus on one.

What are the benefits of improved concentration?

There are many benefits:
1. A boost to your self-confidence – knowing you can focus when you need and want to
2. Getting your work / study / tasks done faster – working in concentrated bursts on one topic is the most productive you can be
3. Memory improvement, when you concentrate on something, your brain has been told ‘This is important’ and so creates more connections for you to be able to recall
4. Loosing yourself in a task is more energising and relaxing at the same time. It is a form of the ‘flow’ state and
5. You will probably find it much easier to concentrate when you really enjoy something, so there is a secret, memory, flow state and ability to focus are all improved when you are doing something you relish.

Mind Chi step 2 – focus for 1 minute on ‘One!’

Now you can see how in the first 2 minutes of your 8-minute Mind Chi routine, you have told your body and your brain – ‘I am in control here!’ How good is that?

Chi and I are standing by on the ready to take your calls and emails! 

To book a 15 minute Mind Chi Chat with Vanda to explore how Mind Chi might assist you, your group, team or company build resilience and joy! 

And for more wonderful Mind Chi blogs:

Want more resilience for your organisation, here:

Here is a short cartoon about ‘Resilience for Change’