One-Mindfully
A Skill for Divided and Fractured Attention
One-Mindfully (OM) is a skill that helps us tap into and develop our ability to concentrate. OM is sustained attention on the present moment – think of the classic feeling of “being in the zone”. OM is easier to access when you’re naturally interested in something and a lot harder when you’re not. So how do you focus and inhabit “the zone” when the activity or task in front of you is not as compelling?
Keep it simple. Check out the tips below.
One Thing at a Time
The definition of OM is the discipline of doing one thing at a time with awareness. Consider what you’ve learned about multitasking and how often it is promoted in our society. We’ve been misled to believe that multitasking is a strength that enhances another important value, productivity. Multitasking promises more accomplishments and time savings; however, behavioral studies have shown that those instructed to do one thing at a time actually accomplished more than those instructed to multitask. Multitasking is possible only when procedures and behaviors are overlearned or automatic – think of when you tap into “autopilot” mode.
Attempting to multitask with behaviors and in situations that require your conscious attention will lead to a constant and overwhelming shift in your attention. Many people experience this back-and-forth shifting as “divided”, “fragmented” or “fractured” attention. This type of attention happens in brief spurts that are ultimately inadequate for task-completion. This approach requires much more mental energy and yields more mistakes.
Consider now the advantages of doing one thing at a time:
You work smarter, not harder
Increased productivity and quality of work
Enhanced memory and retainment of important details – more connections are formed
Better access to creativity
The work becomes more meaningful
Concentrating on one thing slows the mind
Enhanced executive functioning
Decrease in errors
Decrease in anxiety
Saves you time by avoiding do-overs/double work
Not convinced? Try this multitasking experiment with two independently easy tasks and notice the outcome:
First, count from 1 to 26 as quickly as possible, noting the time. Next, say the
ABCs as quickly as possible, again noting the time. Add up the times of these two
tasks done one-mindfully. Now, try a true multitasking activity. Time yourself as
you alternate performing the tasks of counting and reciting the ABCs (i.e., 1 A 2 B
3 C 4 D…). Notice the difference in time, energy, and accuracy.
Do each thing with all of your attention
Think of how often you attend to multiple stimuli simultaneously without giving any one thing your full and complete attention. Perhaps you attempt to watch TV as you check your emails or scroll through social media, all while holding a sandwich in your hand. Do you have a habit of texting and driving? Think about all of the things that run through your head in the middle of a conversation or during an otherwise positive experience – your problems, your to-do list or the uncertainties in life. Note the number of times you choose to distract yourself from everyday tasks rather than attend to them. We often escape the small moments without recognizing that life is the small moments.
The result of this continual partial attention is fractured attention and incomplete and distorted connections. If you find yourself in this state, know that you can reorient and come back. OM can help you let go of distractions and allow you to return to what you were doing. A simple strategy to use when you find your thoughts wandering is to say to yourself, “Return to the here-and-now in 3, 2, 1” and turn your mind toward what you are doing. Repeat this as many times as you have to and remember that practice makes progress.
Identify and limit automatic behaviors
Automatic behaviors can include anything you can do unconsciously or without thought. While it is not recommended, most of us can drive, carry basic conversations or other daily activities with virtually little to no attention or connection.
It is important to acknowledge the utility of automatic behaviors, as they can be highly effective, such as when you automatically follow an overlearned protocol in an emergency situation, or when you swerve or hit your brakes to avoid a collision.
The other side of the dialectic is that automatic behaviors remove us from the here-and-now of life, and this can deprive us of very basic pleasures. Using OM on a daily basis in the small, everyday moments of life can help us nourish our attention and enhance our quality of life. Try one-mindfully preparing and eating a meal, driving with your full attention, or taking a shower or bath with full awareness of the experience. Any thought or behavior in your day can be attended to one-mindfully.
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is located in the historical Monadnock Building and has been providing mental health services in the Chicago loop since 2010. It has been our mission to provide comprehensive and cost-effective mental health treatment.
