We often go
about our daily lives ‘in our heads’. Whatever we’re doing, whoever we’re with,
wherever we are, our focus of attention can be ‘in our heads’. Constantly
drifting off and following the thoughts about our plans for that day, worries
about tomorrow, regret or concern about past events, worries about other
people. Even if we’re thinking about the current situation – where we are and
who we’re with – it’s very often that we’ll be thinking about what other people
will think about us, how we’re going to cope with the situation, or what we
should do or say.
Even though we’re
going to different places, being with different people, working, talking, doing
– our focus of attention can mostly be ‘in our heads’. We drift off into our
heads, almost constantly. It’s just the way we are, the way human minds work.
Is it helpful to us? It can be. Sometimes, we need to work a problem through
in our minds. But very often, having done so, we just keep drifting back to it,
in our heads, doing that Distant & Restless Inner Focus Trap. DRIFT.
D
Distant: taking us away from the here and now
R
Restless: shifting about, drifting aimlessly
IF
Inner Focus: in our heads, focussed on ourselves
T Trap: lying in wait for us
to fall into
We can learn to notice
that DRIFT, acknowledge the DRIFT, and put our focus of attention on the here
and now – on what we’re doing, on who we’re with, on our surroundings, on what
we can see or hear, on physical sensations, on our breath – whatever would be
most helpful.
Daydreaming is often
different from the harmful DRIFT we’re talking about here. Daydreaming
is what we do when we’re bored and we want to think about something else, a
fantasy, something nice, a distraction or diversion. Daydreaming can sometimes
drift into DRIFT.
DRIFT is when we start worrying about things, following our thoughts that take
us off down roads, lanes and tracks that are not helpful to us. Worry about
tomorrow, doubts about yesterday, concerns about today. Focusing our attention
on ourselves, in our heads, on worries and issues that affect the way we feel
and behave. DRIFT is just following our thoughts, wherever they take us,
drifting about with the clouds.
If you’re in a
meeting at work, and you notice the DRIFT, well, maybe it’s understandable that
your mind will drift from time to time, and that’s okay.
But
you can notice it, and then choose
where
to put your focus of attention. You might choose to put your focus on the
meeting, on the speaker, on what’s being said. Your attention might then drift
and you notice that you’re having thoughts about what others in the meeting
might be thinking about you, or expecting you to say. That’s DRIFT. Notice the
DRIFT, and bring your attention back to what the speaker is saying, your
environment, your breath – choose where to put your focus. As your mind starts
to DRIFT again, perhaps worrying about a future situation, on today’s concern,
or a regret from the past:
where
to put your focus of attention. You might choose to put your focus on the
meeting, on the speaker, on what’s being said. Your attention might then drift
and you notice that you’re having thoughts about what others in the meeting
might be thinking about you, or expecting you to say. That’s DRIFT. Notice the
DRIFT, and bring your attention back to what the speaker is saying, your
environment, your breath – choose where to put your focus. As your mind starts
to DRIFT again, perhaps worrying about a future situation, on today’s concern,
or a regret from the past:
