What we think (and even what we feel) is so dependent on what we’re paying attention to. And that frequently is dependent on many other variables such as where you life and who you associate with.

But you can control most of those variables. Just take an election year, for example. How much less anxiety and feeling unsettled could you have if you didn’t watch TV or listen to the news? Especially if you already know who you’re supporting or going to vote for? What do you get out of watching
the news then?

That’s what you should be asking yourself when you find that you’re paying a lot of attention to something. “Why am I doing it and what value does it bring me? Do I really need to be doing this?”

This came to me today as I sat in my chair and wondered what the weather was (because I was starting to get a headache). I realized that I hadn’t checked the weather in a few weeks. That surprised me and then I discovered I hadn’t checked because I hadn’t needed to since I am not able to go out for very long walks I don’t really care what the forecast is. So something that was pretty routine for me was easily tossed by the wayside.

We have the ability to do that with other things in our life as well. We can and should decide where our attention will go. What do you want to get out of your day? What matters to you?

The things I am attentive to are now much different than they were two months ago before my injury. And that’s the way life goes.

Unfortunately we often hold on to and keep attending to things that no longer really matter in our lives.

When was the last time you took an inventory of all that “matters” to you and that you spend some time on, no matter how minimal that might be?

Is it time to declutter your attention getting items? Would that help make your life easier and maybe also serve to calm your nervous system?