Learn to Meditate - Day 2
- Simon Jones DipBSoM
- Jan 12
- 4 min read
Tame Your Distracted Mind. Focused Attention Meditation
Learn to Meditate Course Navigation: Day 0 | Welcome - Start Here
Day 5 | Unlock Your Creative Mind - Open Monitoring Meditation Day 6 | Connect With Clarity - Loving Kindness Meditation
An Important Note on Your Wellbeing:
Meditation can be a powerful tool for building resilience and managing stress, and it is a complementary therapy. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, or any other health concern, you should always consult your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider. See our full Medical Disclaimer for more information. By engaging with our content you accept our medical disclaimer and confirm that you are not under treatment for pre-existing conditions, or have permission from your care provider to engage with them. Do not listen to the guided audio meditations when driving or operating heavy machinery, it is not safe to do so.
Yesterday, you practiced anchoring your attention. Today, we train the skill of reclaiming it.
If you feel like your mind is constantly distracted, you're right. It is. Researchers from Harvard published a landmark study showing that the human mind is in a state of "mind-wandering" for nearly 47% of our waking hours.
Their key finding? This constant mental drift is a direct cause of unhappiness. In the demanding environment of professional life, a wandering mind can also impact your focus and your ability to deliver.
Today's practice, a Focused Attention Meditation, is an exercise you can use to train your focus.
Every time your mind wanders and you bring it back, you are strengthening your capacity for focus. This is the foundation for clearer thinking and better decision-making.
(Study Reference: Killingsworth, M. A., & Gilbert, D. T. (2010). A wandering mind is an unhappy mind. Science.)
1. What It Does (The Performance Benefit)
Focused Attention (FA) is the weight-training aspect of the course. It addresses the "Attention Economy" crisis directly.
It reclaims lost time: Research by Killingsworth & Gilbert (2010) shows our minds wander for approximately 47% of our waking hours. FA training helps you recognise when you have drifted and reclaim that lost productivity.
It builds "Executive Control": It strengthens your ability to direct your focus at will, rather than having your attention hijacked by notifications, emails, or intrusive thoughts.
It reduces "Switching Costs": In a high-pressure agency environment, we constantly task-switch. FA training improves your ability to lock onto a new task quickly, reducing the mental fatigue associated with multitasking.
2. How & Why It Works (The Mechanics)
This technique leverages Neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to physically reorganise itself based on experience. "Neurons that fire together, wire together."
The "Training Rep" for the Brain: The mechanism is a simple loop: Focus > Distraction > Notice > Return. The moment you notice you are distracted and choose to return to the breath, you are strengthening the Pre-frontal Cortex (the brain's "CEO" responsible for planning and logic).
Quieting the Noise: When you are lost in thought, a brain network called the Default Mode Network (DMN) is highly active. Focused Attention Meditation has been shown to decrease activity in the DMN, literally quieting the internal chatter.
Structural Change: Long-term practice doesn't just change how you think; it changes the hardware. Studies (such as Lazar et al., 2005) suggest that meditation can lead to increased cortical thickness in areas of the brain associated with attention.
3. Tips for Your Day 2 Practice
Day 2 is where frustration often sets in because the mind will wander. This is not a failure; it is the point of the exercise.
Reframing the "Mistake": When you realise you have been thinking about your to-do list for the last minute, don't get annoyed. That moment of realisation IS the success. You have just "woken up."
The Feather, Not the Hammer: When you bring your attention back to the breath, do it gently. If you yank your mind back aggressively, you create tension. Treat your attention like a feather, gently place it back on the anchor of the breath.
Labelling: If you find a thought particularly sticky, try "labelling" it. Softly say to yourself "thinking," "planning," or "worrying," and then return to the breath. This creates a small distance between you and the thought.
Let Go of "Good" and "Bad": There is no such thing as a "good" meditation (where you focused perfectly) or a "bad" meditation (where you were distracted). There is only the practice of returning. A session where you return 100 times is a workout where you did 100 reps.
Download Your Meditation:
MP3 download. Hosted on the klarosity website, Download to your device. Enjoy the meditation and we’ll see you tomorrow.
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