I love the term 'attentional health' and the idea of 'attention sanctuaries' is inspiring. I suppose my sanctuary is in the kitchen, cooking. I put on some soothing music and take my time. I use cookbooks or recipes I printed out because I hate having to deal with websites crashing from too many ads, when I'm elbow deep in dough. I have found that the more attention I pay to the experience of cooking, the better the food tastes.
I definitely use my kitchen and cooking in this way as well. It's such a nice thing after a long day of work to go turn on some music and cook something delicious. And I'm with you on the cookbooks vs online recipes. I have over 300 cookbooks these days, lol. I'm a bit obsessed!
I love the term "attentional health." I think it's good to differentiate between mental health issues and having your brain hijacked. My sanctuaries are running, walking, biking, hiking, and gardening. I may pull out my phone to use as a camera, but I don't scroll (unless I'm trying to identify a plant, lol). I've quit listening to music, books, or podcasts when I work out because I need that space from inputting info (#4 Input). Being outdoors is so much more refreshing without being plugged in.
It's possible I need to come up with an indoor sanctuary though. Reading is probably it, but I do it on my iPad, so it's possible to get distracted by a text message or something. I have all the social media and email notifications turned off on my devices so I only know about them if I choose to check. I also have focus modes on for work and sleep time so I only see messages from family members, or emergency type things unless I choose to check. It's been a lifesaver (or brain saver). (#3 Discipline and #8 Focus, lol.)
When I occasionally check for messages on X or Threads, I literally cover the newsfeed column with one hand, look for the notification symbol, and either click to view messages or log out. It feels ridiculous, but I *know* that if I see a tweet or thread I'll get sucked in. I also often set timers for IG because I get sucked in every time. I'm backing way off social media in general because that's the part of my phone that feels the most toxic.
I'm not too bad with the phone while watching TV. It's something my husband and I do together, and if one of us wants to look something up on IMDB we usually pause the show. We also pause to make comments so we're not missing anything, but I love the idea of having something to do with your hands. I've never had the patience or interest to learn crochet or knitting, but I wouldn't rule it out for my future. ;-) Thanks for this great, and thought-provoking, post!
I love that you've put so many things in place and have leveraged that Focus strength. I have Focus in my top 10 as well and I lean on it a lot when trying to figure out the best way through all these distractions. Crochet definitely took some patience. My #1 Learner had to calm down my #3 Achiever who was frustrated that it wasn't something I could just pick up and learn in one session. If you decide to give it a try again, I had good luck starting with a Wooble kit. The video directions were very step by step and it taught me the basics. Plus, it was satisfying to finish that first project (a little stuffed pineapple) in not too much time. I know there's still a big learning curve to go with more complicated stuff beyond scarves, lol, but I'm focusing on enjoying the learning process.
Many thanks for a thoughtful post, Roni! Some random thoughts based on yours and others' thoughts .....
1. I like the concept of talking about the concept of "attentional health" vs. attention in the learning disability/mental health arena. They really are 2 different animals and should addressed as such.
2. As a longtime, experienced crocheter, who also has done designs for publication, scarves are a great way to learn and get comfortable with crochet.
And if you end up with more scarves than you can use, check out Operation Gratitude (Link: https://www.operationgratitude.com/volunteer/handmade-with-love/crochet-knit/ ), which collects donations of handmade scarves and hats -- both knitted and crocheted -- and sends them in care packages to members of the military.
They have pretty specific but easily met specifications for their scarves, so click on those first few FAQs to get the details and start crocheting those scarves.
3. To both yourself (@RoniLoren) and Laura (@LauraBray) -- I also print out recipes. Unlike my daughter, who is perfectly capable of cooking and/baking from her phone/tablet, it absolutely makes me bonkers, especially if I'm doing a recipe for the first time. Printing out a recipe means I can keep track of where I am in the ingredients and directions, and check them off as I go through. On top of that, when I'm cooking, I will occasionally change something based on both past experience and family preference. Having the printed recipe in front of me means I can write those changes down directly on the printout as I go along.
4. Unlike Gwen, I do still listen to music when I do my walks or sew or need to focus on stitch counts in a crochet project. My secret is that I don't use my phone or similar for said music. Instead, I go old school and use my iPod or turn on the radio. (We still have an impressive collection of old school stereo equipment and clock radios throughout the house which are used on a daily basis.)
5. My biggest attentional time suck is not SM, but rather heading down internet rabbit holes when I'm working out a conundrum in one of my fiber arts designs. I usually have a vague idea of what I want to do, but am unsure how to accomplish it. I go looking for clues to do so on the internet and next thing I know an hour, or worst, two hours (!!!) have passed. Ugh!
6. As for reading, I think I'm still okay with this. I just try not to beat myself up when I've spent the whole afternoon immersed in a book, look up, and realize I need to figure out something to make for dinner fairly quickly because we have no leftovers in the fridge.
Okay, having reached a half a dozen, I think I've exceeded my rambling quotient. Again, many thanks Roni and everyone else here for such a thoughtful post!!
Not rambling. :) I love a thoughtful comment! Thanks for the tips about crochet. I'm just starting out so this is my first scarf and I'm still very much in learning mode. But I'm really enjoying it so far. I flip through more complicated pattern books and fantasize that one day I'll be able to make some of those things, lol. And yes to printing out recipes (or using cookbooks). I need to see it on a page and I need to be able to take notes so I can tweak things or adjust timing after trying the recipe. Love that you still have some old school music equipment. I just recently ditched the Amazon Echo in my kitchen, which I used for the clock, the timer, and to play music, and replaced it with an old fashioned clock, a separate timer, and a bluetooth speaker for music. I was tired of seeing it show advertisements and not be able to turn that setting off and I didn't like the idea that it was always listening. Sometimes it's just worth it to go back to the old school methods. And I hear you on the internet rabbit holes. That's my biggest time sink too. I've curtailed most of my social media use, but man I love learning and researching. And some of it is necessary because I get story ideas or newsletter ideas from it, but it can tip over into time wasting. And glad you're reading it still going well! :)
Glad you have a book project on the go - congratulations! And the coaching too. It is good to be busy. My writing has kind of dropped off a cliff. Lots of family and health related issues last year put me in a place where writing was not a priority. I also find it is good to keep hands busy - it also prevents me from snacking between meals, which is a good thing.
Thank you! And I'm sorry to hear that things haven't been going well with your writing. Sometimes we have to put that aside to take care of family and health stuff. The good news is that writing can be patient. It will be there for us when we have the mental space to focus on it again.
I love the term 'attentional health' and the idea of 'attention sanctuaries' is inspiring. I suppose my sanctuary is in the kitchen, cooking. I put on some soothing music and take my time. I use cookbooks or recipes I printed out because I hate having to deal with websites crashing from too many ads, when I'm elbow deep in dough. I have found that the more attention I pay to the experience of cooking, the better the food tastes.
I definitely use my kitchen and cooking in this way as well. It's such a nice thing after a long day of work to go turn on some music and cook something delicious. And I'm with you on the cookbooks vs online recipes. I have over 300 cookbooks these days, lol. I'm a bit obsessed!
I love the term "attentional health." I think it's good to differentiate between mental health issues and having your brain hijacked. My sanctuaries are running, walking, biking, hiking, and gardening. I may pull out my phone to use as a camera, but I don't scroll (unless I'm trying to identify a plant, lol). I've quit listening to music, books, or podcasts when I work out because I need that space from inputting info (#4 Input). Being outdoors is so much more refreshing without being plugged in.
It's possible I need to come up with an indoor sanctuary though. Reading is probably it, but I do it on my iPad, so it's possible to get distracted by a text message or something. I have all the social media and email notifications turned off on my devices so I only know about them if I choose to check. I also have focus modes on for work and sleep time so I only see messages from family members, or emergency type things unless I choose to check. It's been a lifesaver (or brain saver). (#3 Discipline and #8 Focus, lol.)
When I occasionally check for messages on X or Threads, I literally cover the newsfeed column with one hand, look for the notification symbol, and either click to view messages or log out. It feels ridiculous, but I *know* that if I see a tweet or thread I'll get sucked in. I also often set timers for IG because I get sucked in every time. I'm backing way off social media in general because that's the part of my phone that feels the most toxic.
I'm not too bad with the phone while watching TV. It's something my husband and I do together, and if one of us wants to look something up on IMDB we usually pause the show. We also pause to make comments so we're not missing anything, but I love the idea of having something to do with your hands. I've never had the patience or interest to learn crochet or knitting, but I wouldn't rule it out for my future. ;-) Thanks for this great, and thought-provoking, post!
I love that you've put so many things in place and have leveraged that Focus strength. I have Focus in my top 10 as well and I lean on it a lot when trying to figure out the best way through all these distractions. Crochet definitely took some patience. My #1 Learner had to calm down my #3 Achiever who was frustrated that it wasn't something I could just pick up and learn in one session. If you decide to give it a try again, I had good luck starting with a Wooble kit. The video directions were very step by step and it taught me the basics. Plus, it was satisfying to finish that first project (a little stuffed pineapple) in not too much time. I know there's still a big learning curve to go with more complicated stuff beyond scarves, lol, but I'm focusing on enjoying the learning process.
Many thanks for a thoughtful post, Roni! Some random thoughts based on yours and others' thoughts .....
1. I like the concept of talking about the concept of "attentional health" vs. attention in the learning disability/mental health arena. They really are 2 different animals and should addressed as such.
2. As a longtime, experienced crocheter, who also has done designs for publication, scarves are a great way to learn and get comfortable with crochet.
And if you end up with more scarves than you can use, check out Operation Gratitude (Link: https://www.operationgratitude.com/volunteer/handmade-with-love/crochet-knit/ ), which collects donations of handmade scarves and hats -- both knitted and crocheted -- and sends them in care packages to members of the military.
They have pretty specific but easily met specifications for their scarves, so click on those first few FAQs to get the details and start crocheting those scarves.
3. To both yourself (@RoniLoren) and Laura (@LauraBray) -- I also print out recipes. Unlike my daughter, who is perfectly capable of cooking and/baking from her phone/tablet, it absolutely makes me bonkers, especially if I'm doing a recipe for the first time. Printing out a recipe means I can keep track of where I am in the ingredients and directions, and check them off as I go through. On top of that, when I'm cooking, I will occasionally change something based on both past experience and family preference. Having the printed recipe in front of me means I can write those changes down directly on the printout as I go along.
4. Unlike Gwen, I do still listen to music when I do my walks or sew or need to focus on stitch counts in a crochet project. My secret is that I don't use my phone or similar for said music. Instead, I go old school and use my iPod or turn on the radio. (We still have an impressive collection of old school stereo equipment and clock radios throughout the house which are used on a daily basis.)
5. My biggest attentional time suck is not SM, but rather heading down internet rabbit holes when I'm working out a conundrum in one of my fiber arts designs. I usually have a vague idea of what I want to do, but am unsure how to accomplish it. I go looking for clues to do so on the internet and next thing I know an hour, or worst, two hours (!!!) have passed. Ugh!
6. As for reading, I think I'm still okay with this. I just try not to beat myself up when I've spent the whole afternoon immersed in a book, look up, and realize I need to figure out something to make for dinner fairly quickly because we have no leftovers in the fridge.
Okay, having reached a half a dozen, I think I've exceeded my rambling quotient. Again, many thanks Roni and everyone else here for such a thoughtful post!!
Not rambling. :) I love a thoughtful comment! Thanks for the tips about crochet. I'm just starting out so this is my first scarf and I'm still very much in learning mode. But I'm really enjoying it so far. I flip through more complicated pattern books and fantasize that one day I'll be able to make some of those things, lol. And yes to printing out recipes (or using cookbooks). I need to see it on a page and I need to be able to take notes so I can tweak things or adjust timing after trying the recipe. Love that you still have some old school music equipment. I just recently ditched the Amazon Echo in my kitchen, which I used for the clock, the timer, and to play music, and replaced it with an old fashioned clock, a separate timer, and a bluetooth speaker for music. I was tired of seeing it show advertisements and not be able to turn that setting off and I didn't like the idea that it was always listening. Sometimes it's just worth it to go back to the old school methods. And I hear you on the internet rabbit holes. That's my biggest time sink too. I've curtailed most of my social media use, but man I love learning and researching. And some of it is necessary because I get story ideas or newsletter ideas from it, but it can tip over into time wasting. And glad you're reading it still going well! :)
I like the term.
I've been working on cutting back on SM. I have a few hobbies I want to ease back into.
Glad you have a book project on the go - congratulations! And the coaching too. It is good to be busy. My writing has kind of dropped off a cliff. Lots of family and health related issues last year put me in a place where writing was not a priority. I also find it is good to keep hands busy - it also prevents me from snacking between meals, which is a good thing.
Thank you! And I'm sorry to hear that things haven't been going well with your writing. Sometimes we have to put that aside to take care of family and health stuff. The good news is that writing can be patient. It will be there for us when we have the mental space to focus on it again.