When it comes to being present, we seem to be lost in thought.
Who hasn’t had their mind wander during a business meeting? Or asked a family member to repeat what they said because you were too busy watching the TV?
We expect our work colleagues, friends, and family to pay attention to us, yet we seem to lack focus in paying attention to them.
In this infographic from Presence Training, the results of several research studies about happiness, concentration, and mindfulness show that being focused has positive impact on memory, happiness, stress reduction, and many other areas.
And if you’re interested in improving your focus, your “being present”, the infographic includes tips for becoming more mindful in your daily life.
I know I can improve in this area; I’ll be paying more attention when I brush my teeth in the morning. Who’s with me?
Check out the key takeaways for the infographic.
Source: Being Present Makes you Happier
Key Takeaways
Our minds wander… a lot. Forty-seven percent of the time we are thinking about something other than what we are doing. How much your mind wanders depends on what you’re doing. Our minds wander:
- 65 percent while brushing teeth
- 50 percent when you’re working
- 32 percent during a conversation
- 10 percent while having sex
Research shows that people are substantially less happy when their mind is wandering than when they are paying attention to what they are doing:
- 65 percent are happy when present focused
- 57 percent are happy when mind wandering
Concentrating on what you’re doing will make you happier than daydreaming, even if you daydream about something pleasant.
- 66 percent are happy when not mind wandering
- 65 percent are happy mind wandering pleasant thoughts
- 58 percent are happy when mind wandering neutral thoughts
- 43 percent are happy when mind wandering negative thoughts
If you are stuck in a traffic jam, you will still be happier paying attention to your experience than if your mind is wandering.
Being present makes you happier. It also:
- Reduces stress
- Improves your memory and sporting performance
- Increases your concentration
- Helps you sleep
A study published by Oxford University in 2013 looked at 273 participants and concluded that taking a four-week, 10-session online mindfulness course reduced:
- Anxiety by 58 percent
- Depression by 57 percent
- Stress by 40 percent
Scientific evidence supporting the power of mindfulness (being present) is now so strong that UK doctors support it. Sixty-eight percent of general practitioners surveyed in 2010 thought it would be helpful or very helpful for all of their patients to learn mindfulness meditation skills.
Scientists put one group of golfers on a mindfulness course, and used a control group that didn’t take the course:
- They found that the golfers who had learned to be more present all improved their national rankings (6 out of 6)
- Only two out of six in the control group did
In 2012, researchers at the University of California had 48 undergraduate students take either a mindfulness class or a nutrition class. In two weeks:
- There was no improvement in GRE (Graduate Record Exam) scores for the nutrition group
- For the mindfulness group, their average GRE went from 460 to 520, a 13 percent improvement
- The mindfulness group also improved in tests on working memory and focus
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was found to be as effective as pharmaceutical drugs in treating insomnia in an eight-week randomized control trial conducted at a health center in the USA.
There are hundreds of ways to be more present in your everyday life. Try these:
- When you notice your mind is wandering, feel the sensations in your body instead
- Switch off the television when you’re eating, slow down and really taste your food
- Smell the air as you walk down the street, feel your feet on the ground as you walk
- Notice your breathing as you sit in your office chair
- Make eye contact with yourself as you brush your teeth in the morning
Bring a little more Presence into your day and be happier.
