Posted on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 : 2:07 p.m.
Tips to focus the mind when there's work to be done
By Chris Wucherer
Dear Chris,
I am in graduate school and have a 30-page thesis draft due. When I sit down to work on it my mind jumps all over the place. How can I focus on my paper?
Klaudia W.
Dear Klaudia,
The mind can be an unruly place, indeed. It can take us to places we would rather not go to at the most inconvenient times. When we feel pressure or anxiety the mind can dance like it's choreographed to Stravinsky. Fortunately, there are ways to focus the mind on the task you want to accomplish.
- Stay focused in the present. It's easy to worry about your grade or to beat yourself up about past papers that may not have been done to your liking. The past is over and the future is a projection of the present. The only moment we have is the one we are in right now. So stay in the present - it's where life is happening.
- Spend five or 10 minutes a day doing free expression writing as a way to funnel off some of the unwanted thoughts. A good approach to this technique is to let yourself write about whatever comes to mind, without any focus on spelling, grammar or penmanship. Write with any medium that strikes your fancy, such as pencil, pen, marker, crayon. You may be thinking, "What more writing"? Yet, this writing exercise is meant to be playful and without the pressure of 'writing a paper', you may find some great nuggets of ideas embedded within.
- Create a writing ritual to use each time you sit down to write your paper. Make a cup of tea and light a candle in a favorite writing spot. Go to your favorite cafe and order some comfort food with a luscious beverage. The ideas are endless, do what makes sense for you.
- Begin each writing session with a centering exercise. Place both feet squarely but gently on the floor, close your eyes, inhale from the belly and through the nose, in and out, for a minute or two. Slowly open your eyes and bring yourself to the task of writing your paper.
- Remember that it's only a paper. That's all - only a paper.
Let me know how it goes. I care.