Focus – To be or not to be

 

Just as distraction is not always bad, the focus is also not always good. Since the time, I started working on focus, or even vision or purpose, a question has been troubling me. In fact, I think it was raised by someone in the group also and I did manage to answer it in the micro sense of my understanding of the concept.

How do you  know if your focus is good or is it in the right direction

As I am writing this piece, I am struck with an epiphany; I knew the answer all along. It had been ingrained in us. It was always amongst the first few pages of NCERT books growing up. Gandhiji’s Talisman. “Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [woman] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her].”

Coming back however to the topic at hand, we were discussing excess focus or too much focus. Apparently, there is a medical term known as hyperfocus. Children or Adults who suffer from ADHD tend to experience this. It refers to being too engrossed in a task for a longer period of time which leads one to forget important engagement.

Even from everyday perspective, studies have proven that our brain is unable to take too much focus. As per an article in Harvard Business Review, both focus and unfocus are vital for optimal function of our brain. In a way, it is reiterating the point I made in my yesterday’s blog. Plan your distraction. Include it in your day without any guilt.

Another relevant piece of information that I found useful is that our brain can focus only for 2 hours at a stretch after which it needs 20 to 30 minutes break.  I also came across the Pomodoro technique. It is a brain training technique where you focus on a task for 25 minutes and then take a break for 5 minutes and then again start for 25 minutes. Once you complete four such cycles you can take a 15 to 20 minutes break.

On a weekly basis I invite a guest to speak on weekly issues. I felt this week’s issue, the focus would be best covered by children and I have seen my children successfully deal with distraction. So I invited them to speak on the subject.

These were my observations-

-         My daughter who is 11 was managing it better in studies.

-         My son who takes an active interest in helping around the house and managed that his grades have stayed consistent.

-         They have not only learned so much, but they have also been my champions and support structure.

-         Children and Parents alike only have one definition of focus. I realized I was focused on studies and so were my children while answering questions on focus.  That need not be the case. Just one definition of focus may not work for everyone.