Blocking mental Pop-ups

Sometimes the hardest thing to do in the world is to be consistent. To not do anything and be
still or otherwise; To be that body in Newton's 1st law of motion which remains at rest or in
motion until acted upon by ‘external’ factors. Though considered a universal law, interestingly
and ironically it fails to apply to us as we change our course of action when acted upon by
‘internal’ impulses.

Normally, these internal factors are temptations to provide stimulation to our senses occurring
frequently. Today’s world is so dynamic and fast-paced that every other second it throws out a
new facet, a new product to be astounded upon. Every 30 seconds, we switch to some other
headspace. One second we are reading a book, the next we find ourselves scrolling through
memes. We are constantly drowning in options and gadgets and screens which pull us in a
million directions all at once. We are so accustomed to continuously exciting our senses that it
has made our attention span reduce drastically over the past years.

Studies have shown the negative impact of smartphones on our cognitive abilities. According to
a Harvard study, people spend 47% of their waking hours zoned out or distracted.[1] While
everyone normally gets distracted from time to time, having a short attention span frequently
troubles one in focusing on tasks and conversations affecting their professional and personal
life. Let us take a look at some tips to improve our attention span.

Yoga Exercises

Yoga is a wonderful ancient Indian practice that is regarded globally as a holistic means of good
physical and mental health and alternative medicine. According to one experimental study[2],
groups who practiced Yoga exercises like Surya Namaskar, Padmasana, Sarvangasana,
Paschimottanasana, and Shavasana for 30 mins regularly for 12 weeks were found to have
increased attention by significant margins.

Waking Up Early

Indian culture has always placed a high value on getting up early for physical and mental
development since ancient times. In a study where a test group was asked to rise before 4:30
am based on the traditional Indian astrological calculations[3]. The group after 20 days showed
a significant improvement in the net scores for digit letter substitution task as well as scores for
verbal and spatial memory tasks proving the benefits of early rising.
Meditation- An Ad Blocker

Just like we are obsessed with feeding our senses we can gradually become habitual of not
over-exciting them. Instead of forcing your brain to process notifications and social media feeds,
give yourself at least a few minutes each day to practice the technique of Self-Realization. Self-
Realization is a way to keep checks and balances over these unwanted mental pop-ups by
practically focussing on your fundamental self which in turn helps in gaining control over the
actions which otherwise were involuntary. This works similar to an ad blocker, notifying you that
something is trying to invade your space but giving you master control at the same time.

Staying Hydrated

Believe it or not, attention span is also dependent upon how hydrated our body is. Our brain is
nearly 75% water. Water facilitates communication between brain cells, and flushes away toxins
and waste that impair brain function. One study concludes that “dehydration impairs cognitive
performance, particularly for tasks involving attention, executive function, and motor
coordination when water deficits exceed 2%”[4]. So keep calm and drink water.

The Raga Effect

Music has long been acknowledged for its ability to uplift the spirit. But believe it or not, music
can be used to enhance cognitive capacities, especially attention. Since ancient times ‘ragas’
have been known to cure physical and mental ailments. Instead of hard metal, listening to short
symphonies or Indian classical music was found to be notably better than either metal or
complete silence at improving attentiveness and focus as per one study[5],[6].

The world calls for exploration and everyday we find something new and enticing. But it is
paramount to gain control over the urge of mindless exposure. Just like our electronic systems,
we also have a finite memory slot and processing unit that may lag and not provide speed to
crucial fundamental tasks if not taken care of. With the right mindset and discipline, and by
following the above pointers, one can eventually lessen the effect of these unwanted pop-ups
appearing in our subtle space.

Sources:

[1] https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/11/wandering-mind-not-a-happy-mind/

[2] http://njppp.com/fulltext/28-1531306776.pdf
[3]https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
239940415_Influence_of_early_rising_on_performance_in_tasks_requiring_attention_and_me
mory

[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29933347/

[5] https://sereneapp.com/focus-music/

[6]
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283301346_Immediate_effect_of_listening_to_Indian_
raga_on_attention_and_concentration_in_healthy_college_students_A_comparative_study