Of all the things we can draw our attention to, we pay relatively little attention to the now. Our attention goes rather to thoughts about the past or the future. As we are taking a shower in the morning, we rarely pay attention to showering itself and the sensation that it entails. Instead, we are focusing on the things that need to be done that day, or we think about things we did yesterday.

Concerns about the future, regret about the past, comparing oneself with others and constantly thinking about how things could be better, are example of typical thoughts. Constant thinking makes it impossible to fully enjoy a nice meal, a concert or the falling rain. And this constant thinking not only distracts our thoughts and attention from the here and now but when thoughts are negative, they can also cause problems such as anxiety or stress.

By focusing our attention on the present moment, we free ourselves from obsessive thinking and make contact with our direct experience, rather than a mental story. Soon we realize that in this moment, right here and right now, there is rarely an actual problem

Attention regulation is the most important form of self-control. It plays a central role in all forms of self-regulation, such as the regulation of emotions, impulses and thoughts. To what extent we are able to regulate our attention is strongly related to well-being.

Don't believe everything you think

Thoughts are just that: thoughts. 

Mindful attention means attention without judgement. By accepting all our feelings, emotions, sensations and thoughts, we stop struggling, save energy and notice that the things we fight against often fade away automatically.

Automatism can cause us to get stuck in a negative cycle of feeling and thinking. Become the observer of your inner state and be no longer identified and lost in the content of your thoughts and feelings.

Interested to learn how to be more mindful?

A coaching trajectory lends itself perfectly to getting acquainted with mindfulness & self-compassion. If this is one of your themes, we will pay extra attention to it.

In addition, it is highly recommended to follow an 8-week MBSR (mindfulness & self-compassion) course. This can be done individually or through the employer. See below for more information.