The Distraction Isn’t Always the Problem

Our minds like to think of distractions as things that get in our way, like our phones, the constant notifications, random conversations, and all the noise we hear that surrounds us. These are things that interrupt our focus and can pull us off track in an instant. While it’s true on the very surface, it doesn’t always describe or paint a completely full or accurate picture. Sometimes the distractions aren’t the problem. Sometimes it’s just the very thing we reach for when we don’t want to stay in that moment to think about what we’ve been thinking about or to feel what we’ve been feeling.

Occasionally, there are moments when something really needs our internal, focused attention. For example, what about those moments when something just doesn’t sit right with us? Or when a feeling that hasn’t yet truly been recognized? Maybe it’s some situation or event that has occurred that is still unfolding or evolving in our minds. When we’re in those moments, the act of focusing isn’t just about being able to concentrate. Perhaps it’s about willingness. Do we really have the willingness to stay with something long enough to figure out its meaning? More often than not, that’s when our thoughts begin to drift and move away.

So how does this play out in real time? Well, instead of staying with it, we pick up our phones and start scrolling. And then we keep scrolling longer. We do anything to redirect our attention to something that is easier for our minds to process in that moment. Feeling almost miniscule, but certainly an automatic response, our thinking begins to change direction. Instead of finding and holding a clear moment of clarity and mindful recognition, it becomes something else that we avoid or move away from completely before it fully forms.

In the Kind Rebirths space, our goal is not to remove distractions entirely. First of all, that’s not easily accomplished unless maybe you are Buddhist monk practicing on the fourth level of Jhana. More importantly, it’s not necessary. The important shift is noticing when a distraction is externally born or when it is something we are choosing to engage in actively. This is an important distinction, and it matters because it reveals something equally, if not more important…intention. It demonstrates whether we are truly being interrupted or if we are simply just interrupting ourselves.

When we start noticing this, things have a tendency to become clearer. Distractions may not always come in their “normal” random fashion. Sometimes, they are just a convenient exit. When things require more attention than we are ready or able to give, ways to withdraw become extremely useful.

True focus isn’t just about blocking everything out. If you recall or have time to review one of my other posts on mindfulness, you will see that a calm mind doesn’t seek to curb distracted or illusionary thoughts. It’s about recognition. It’s almost as if you see it arising, you say “Hi” to them and then you send them on their way. We don’t necessarily need to solve it or fix it, but we do need to understand its purpose for actually arriving. That kind of attention is subtle and honest. This is a Kind Rebirth in practice.

Stay Mindful….

Rebirth.