The words “sit still” might bring up memories of younger years and unmet expectations from the adults in your life at the time (but stay with us here for a minute). Intentional moments of stillness are good for your brain and body. These moments help the neural pathways that fire between your brain and body connect. Deliberate stillness helps increase your awareness of mindless fidgeting and movement. This creates endurance in your ability to focus. Some work is
like a marathon; your brain and body are an endurance athlete, so think of this as marathon training.
Make an effort to sit still as you do things that don’t require movement, like listening to podcasts, reading a book, or sitting at meals. Think about your body; allow movement to calm from your head down your arms, legs, and feet. Feel the stillness and think about still water, snow on the ground, and leaves on the grass. Feel your arms, hands, legs, feet and the surface you are sitting or laying on. Feel the air around you, the temperature of the room. Feel your heartbeat and your breath.
1. Now let’s give this a try! Set a timer for 30 seconds. Sit, think your thoughts. Allow the distractions to flow in and out, and think about how much you would rather not sit still. Feel the discomfort and feel your ability to override the impulse to
move. Find the zen. Feel what being grounded is in your body.
2. Take it up a level - set a timer for one minute, and just breathe. This seems silly and simple on a basic level. But doing this for one minute, three times a day, for two weeks is like bootcamp for the brain. It will create two positive results: learning what relaxation feels like and allowing your brain to reorganize its priorities, improving focus and task completion.
Leave a comment