The distraction game ....

We all love a distraction especially if we are having a tough time, it keeps us busy and more than often allows us to cope with things we are maybe trying to avoid.

Life has plenty of distractions all in different forms and creates many ways to suit us all. I certainly know over the years I’ve found many creative ways and sometimes still do because being human is tough sometimes.

We can all get easily distracted by things because it can feel easier than having to face the things we need to do or look at.

When life is busy it's easy to get lost in a lot of distractions and up until the strangeness (we’ll call it this) of this year where our lives changed and lock down happened, the outside which we use to distract ourselves became more limited. So, for many the distractions had to change and if you were addicted to being busy things really changed here.

For lots of people this actually brought about anxiety because the things they’d been able to distract themselves they could no longer do, which of course means people don’t feel good.

Of course we can use food, tv, drink, porn, negative emotions or even drugs but when confined for a long time if this won't help in the long term.

So how can we help ourselves with this especially when our lives are set up with distractions being part of it.

The big thing, distraction is stopping us from getting present in the moment which if you’ve experienced shitty stuff you may wish to avoid feeling them, however if we prolong distraction disconnects us from ourselves even further.

The present moment is a powerful place for us to grow from, heal, feel and experience things but of course can feel tricky to get there at times.

I’m not saying we should never distract ourselves sometimes we need to but it's a fine balance and a place not to get lost in.

Firstly, identify your distractions, your go to ones, and get honest with it. Ask yourself what these bring you, why they are your go too and how they make you feel.

It’s important to be kind to yourself and not judge yourself in this process.

Next we need to figure the best way to do them less and get present with what we do need to address and the things we need to do.

Often once we’ve identified honestly why we distract ourselves with something it's easier to break it down. Therefore, I suggest starting small and building up on it. If the thing you distract yourself from is uncomfortable for instance, figure out how you could make this easier and more manageable. This could be asking for help or getting an accountability partner in on it.

I like tracking and writing things down so I can see progress, this doesn’t work for everyone but if this resonates I suggest trying it.

Often the reason why we distract ourselves is because the initial starting off something seems daunting but it's a case of starting before you feel ready.

Check out this old blog post here. https://www.hannah-wallace.com/blog/just-begin

Personally, practising meditation is key. It helps get you to be present and grounded so finding one that suits you and to commit too would really make a difference. There are all different forms of embodiment even dancing for five minutes to your fave song is a great way to get present and to realign yourself.

Here's the link to my free meditation when you sign up to my newsletter.

https://www.hannah-wallace.com/newsletter

Lastly, the key is knowing this is an ongoing process to navigate. There will always be times when we get more distracted but awareness is everything and once we have that we can always bring ourselves back. Don’t be in competition with yourself, build on what you need to get done, and make sure your focus is on what is beyond the distraction and why that will positively benefit yourself.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic, how you distract yourself and how you try to overcome it.

I’m sending good vibes to you the reader.

All my love

Hannah X