Some people may believe that daydreaming during a speech, meeting, family get-together, or conversation with friends indicates a lack of concentration or attentiveness, however according to Harvard University lecturer and speech educator Rebecca Ronald, in an article published on Psychology Today, She has long considered creativity and focus to be all or nothing, i.e., either one is aware or distracted, or one is innovative, or one is thinking outside the box.
Rebecca Ronald continues by stating that Ronald eventually came to the realisation that the kind of focus and attention in multiple directions that enables creative thoughts to flow into the mind can be a gift to people after much thought and more time management.
Ronald continues by saying that she eventually understood there were various types of focus, and each one had caused her to produce a particular form of creative work.
She then started to define creativity more broadly, pointing out that in addition to thinking about how to engage with coworkers or solve problems with friends, creativity can also entail creating artwork or working on a short novel.
She has been attempting to focus like “everyone else,” according to Ronald, for years.
But she understood that everyone’s tendency to daydream might be the “greatest” strategy for focusing; you just need to know how to use it (gently and consciously).
According to Ronald, if someone occasionally accuses themselves of not paying attention in the “proper” way, it may be because they have a number of open Internet browser tabs, are drowning in nonstop Internet searches, or are staring out the window while trying to finish a report or complete a task.
Ronald cautions against blaming oneself for “lack of focus” because it won’t make you focus more effectively.
Additionally, it frequently intensifies bad sensations. It may even prevent the user from finishing the current task.
When a person quits concentrating on one thing and allows their thoughts flow, realising that mind-wandering might be advantageous might be helpful. Numerous studies have revealed that daydreaming fosters creativity, and that creativity can make people happy.
“Problem-oriented daydreaming,” in which a person thinks glibly of an idea or problem in their creative activity but does not try to push a solution, is another style of creativity that Ronald claims might be helpful. Without stopping his thoughts or making any adjustments, he may just let his thoughts flow from one to the next.
Ronald continues by saying that parents may motivate their kids to do this as well.
They can inquire as to what else might occur. and “What could possibly happen next that would be the craziest thing?”
Before going to bed or having a shower, a person can use this strategy, says Ronald, by putting an issue in front of him and asking oneself a question. As soon as he stops imposing things on himself and provides a response, solutions frequently start to come to mind.
Ronald asserts that having an open mind and a lighthearted attitude toward what one observes or hears are essential components of coming up with fresh ideas.
When someone approached Brad’s office door and heard him making odd noises, they said: “Looks like someone lives there,” as Ronald provides a recent example from the context of her professional life. The situation was resolved once everyone laughed.
But later, while Ronald was thinking about the specifics and components of a kid’s short novel, she recalled this amusing remark and started to question whether there was actually a person residing in the refrigerator. Wouldn’t kids find this to be a humorous tale? What if that someone was accessible for conversation each time the fridge door was opened? Wouldn’t that make some people feel less lonely? Can the person in the fridge help those who have issues with emotional eating by offering guidance and cautions?
Ronald demonstrates that introducing new concepts to kids might open their minds to the strange or inspire more imaginative thinking.
Ronald suggests that it is crucial to pay attention to how free time is spent and to reflect on whether one is spending time on activities that are not beneficial to him. What if his offspring follow suit? Explaining that these activities can be appropriate if they are done in very small doses, but that there are risks and drawbacks associated with them, including the draining of time and energy, he questions whether he is wasting his time looking for information he does not need or consuming his time and energies on social networking platforms.
Ronald continues by saying that if you attempt new things, you’ll find you have more energy. He suggests going on walks in parks and natural areas, practising meditation, or going swimming while engaging in those activities with more active people.
Trying these strategies, according to Ronald, can have a positive resonance, but it must be remembered that the first step is self-compassion and that one must constantly remind oneself that “we are all creative, even if our creativity disappears, and that success in making changes is by accumulating a number of small steps. “
Four strategies to increase your mental clarity, creativity, and focus
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