How softening our attention restores our tired mind
Are you suffering from attention fatigue syndrom? Discover why ‘soft fascination’ is the answer.
Karin Peeters proudly featured in Psychologies Magazine - Scroll halfway down this page for the full article.
We are not meant to be switched on all the time. Balance is crucial for our well-being, sustainable results and maintaining a sense of joy.
We all know that feeling of cotton wool inside our head. A type of brain fog, that makes even the simplest decisions hard to make. We are more forgetful, tired and our mind needlessly worries over the same issues without finding any respite.
The capacity of our brain to concentrate is limited and overdoing it results in mental, or attention, fatigue.
The talented freelance journalist Heidi Scrimgeour kindly asked me to contribute to an article in Psychologies Magazines on the subject of attention fatigue, explaining why ‘soft fascination’ is so important from a psychological perspective.
Soft Fascination is the idea that our mind needs moments of down time when our attention is softly focused (for example on nature or during meditation) rather than intensively focused while exerting mental energy, for instance, working tirelessly to meet an important deadline or during vigorous exercise.
“Soft fascination: when your attention is held by a less active or stimulating activity; such activities generally provide the opportunity to reflect and introspect.“
Daniel, 2014
The importance of balance between our Inner Masculine and Inner Feminine
Remember the ancient symbol of yin and yang? It represents the balance between the masculine (activity) and the feminine (receptivity). They are complementary, not opposing forces that form a dynamic whole.
The same applies to our attention.
Our inner masculine helps us focus, set goals, plan, accomplish and achieve. It's practical, the up and get go, let's make things happen attitude. There's adrenaline and achievement, but it can lead to stress and exhaustion if there is no break.
The inner feminine enables us to soften our attention. It's a place of trust, renewal, rest and surrender. Characteristics that are most often associated with the feminine are connection, empathy and being nurturing. Our inner feminine has a diffused awareness, thinking many things at once and intuitively knows details and feels subtle nuances.
Psychologies Magazine - Nov 2021
“Give Yourself a Break” by Heidi Scrimgeour, featuring Karin Peeters.
There are four different types of tiredness, each with its own unique remedy:
Permission to Pause
When we use soft fascination we give ourselves permission to pause, and by allowing space we unconsciously invite new ideas, solutions, opportunities and an alignment with something bigger.
We allow things to come to us, instead of chasing them with sheer effort. It's a place of loving-kindness, compassion and wisdom, which goes beyond the brainy intelligence of the space of intense focus.
Intense focus might bring us effectivity, and by that I mean results, if we're lucky.
But soft fascination brings us efficiency, meaning reaching the desired outcome without wasting time, resources or energy. It's more intuitive and aligned with our heart and soul.
Finding balance within yourself between intense focus and soft fascination, between the inner masculine and feminine results in more joy and is more sustainable too.
How to get there I hear your wonder...
Enjoy reading the Psychologies Magazine article in full, and scroll down for an additional four tips to bring more soft attention into your life.
Psychologies Magazine - November 2021 - Give Yourself a Break
Karin is featured on Page 24 to 27.
“It was a joy to be featured in Psychologies Magazine, thank you for the opportunity.”
Karin Peeters
Karin’s tips for creating more opportunities to weave soft fascination into our lives:
Tip Number One
Install one of these "take a break" reminders on your computer. Yes they are super annoying and we all have the tendency to click them away. So make sure the alerts don't pop up too often, and when they do simply take a deep abdominal breath, check your posture, and just rest for a short moment, allowing your attention to soften.
Tip Number Two
Throughout the day, pause and ask yourself "Is what I am doing bringing benefit to myself and others?", or "Is what I am doing bringing me and others happiness?". And by happiness I don't mean ice-cream type pleasure. I mean a deep sense of fulfilment.
Re-setting your intention in this way, reminding yourself that life isn't about the end destination, but about the journey and your contribution to this world, helps to switch from an intense focus, to a place of softness, purpose and ease.
Tip Number Three
The one we all know already, a screen detox. Go outside and walk. Look up and watch the sky. Listen to music or an audio-novel in the train home. Leave your desk during your lunch break. Have some of your meetings while walking in the park.
Bring your attention to your breathing, simply being aware of the inbreath going in, and the outbreath going out. Give yourself permission to relax.
Tip Number Four
There is a difference between switching off and relaxing. Switching off, like watching Netflix or scrolling on your phone is not intense focus, but it surely isn't soft fascination either. It might help to give your tired mind a break, but it does not restore your energy.
Remind yourself of what you used to do when you were younger. What brought you joy when you were a child or a teenager? Long forgotten hobbies like fishing, soccer, scrapbooks, drawing, poetry, watching the horizon, dancing or camping trips can bring that much needed sense of respite.
Which of the things you loved doing can you bring back into your life?
Overcoming Mental Fatigue and Exhaustion with the guidance of Attention Restoration Theory (ART) by Kaplan
If your mind is tired and you’d like to read more about Soft Fascination, I highly recommend Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory (ART) on the importance of spending time in nature.
Attention Restoration Theory is a creative brain-child of Stephen and Rachel Kaplan. Their theory developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when technology and increasing indoor entertainment meant that people, and especially children, spent less time outside and especially less time in nature.
Attention Restoration Theory states that being in nature is not just enjoyable, but also can help us improve our focus and ability to concentrate (Ohly, White, Wheeler, Bethel, Ukoumunne, Nikolaou, & Garside, 2016). Meaning that time in the outdoors contributes to overcoming mental fatigue and improves our ability to focus and direct our attention effectively.
Restorative environments like nature help us move away from Hard Fascination where our attention is held by a highly stimulating activity, being completely absorbed, for example spending sleepless nights studying for exams. Instead we learn to hold your attention without our need to focus or direct it in a certain way, providing the opportunity to reflect and introspect.
What is your favourite restorative place? May you be able to be there often, either physically, or in your own creative imagination.
With love,
Karin
“What a fabulous message to read, and felt very timely for me.”
“Beautiful!”
“Yup....a little goat just fell asleep on my arm (I’m visiting a Children’s Farm). The world disappeared as I kept petting it. Soft Fascination: the connection was/is magical.”
“Beautiful insight! Today I took the time to gaze at a flower and a butterfly to relax my brain.”
“I thought just buying the magazine made us smarter, so what about writing in it?
This in essence, this is self compassion and self kindness at its core. It starts with us and that’s perfectly OK.
#kindness #selfcompassion”
“Thank you for this article on Soft Fascination, I could really relate to it and in particular the section on ‘permission to pause’.
And congratulations on your article being shown in Psychologies Magazine!”
