Attention Meets Emotion
Katie Cheadle, Co-Founder of Evolve
Are you able to screen out emotional distractions and stay focused? Or do your thoughts tend to drift from the task you’re working on to something you heard on the news to a fight you had with your spouse earlier in the morning? When someone asks you a question or you run into your boss in the hallway, does it take you a while to regain your train of thought?
Your ability to focus your attention is not only a component of your cognitive ability but also deeply related to your emotional landscape. Emotional cues are not only ubiquitous in our lives and our environment, but they can also be strong distractions, interfering with our ability to accomplish tasks and maintain a sense of calm (especially in the workplace).
When you are focused, you can maintain your awareness on a single conversation even in a noisy, crowded room. An unfocused person may be shifting attention and eyes constantly due to the attention-grabbing stimulus. Many individuals push through the distractions despite emotional disruptions, but many others feel constantly pulled by the highs and lows.
The research continues to show us that attention and emotion are quite intimate. Developing your emotional agility can not only help you feel more grounded and calm, but it allows you to enhance your focus and attention at work and in your personal life. There are several distinct forms of attention, but two particularly catch my attention (no pun intended) and are explained in detail in The Emotional Life of Your Brain by Richard Davidson. One is selective attention - the ability to be immersed in a sea of stimuli and maintain attention to only one thing. The other is open, non-judgmental awareness - the capacity to remain receptive to whatever may pass into your thoughts, view, hearing, or feeling and do so in a non-critical way. Can you believe psychologists have found a way to measure this stuff?
As professionals, it’s our job to ensure we are working with our emotions in a way that supports our performance. Pushing them away, avoiding them altogether, or letting them get the best of you are not effective strategies. Working with a coach, going to therapy, journaling regularly, meditating, and talking to a trusted mentor can all support the process. Find a way to work with your emotions in a way that supports your growth, and simultaneously watch your ability to maintain focus and attention improve.
Interested in bringing Emotional Agility training to your company? Click the link here to learn more.