focus – Rebel Bush Doctor

Escaping (US) Americanisms

A man sitting at a table in a coffee shop with his laptop opened and holding a smartphone in front of it looks off into space to his right

The USA is largely a goal-oriented society that values results more than the struggle or process to attain them. This is somewhat of a departure from many of the other cultures I’ve been blessed to live amongst. In light of this, much of our time as Americans is spent planning for and envisioning the future.Continue reading “Escaping (US) Americanisms”

Distraction: When is it Advantageous?

A man at a desk with his laptop in front of him peers off to his right

For much of my *professional* life, I’ve been easily swayed by distraction—not just getting down to business, whatever the undertaking may be, but also merely staying on task. I think this is a common struggle in the digital age, as the onslaught of stimuli and noise we’re faced with continues to grow. For a longContinue reading “Distraction: When is it Advantageous?”

Mindfulness: Kill Your Thoughts or Let Them Pass?

Two illustrated human heads facing each other against a cosmic background, with the head at left nearly empty and the one at right filled with a nebula of activity.

From the point of view of mindfulness, the logic is not to care about any of the interesting changes and experiences that come as a result of practicing in this way, because the underlying goal is to be more and more equanimous with changes. So it’s not to grasp at what’s pleasant or interesting andContinue reading “Mindfulness: Kill Your Thoughts or Let Them Pass?”

Exteroception vs Interoception: Getting Out of Your Head

A cup of tea pinning down a napkin that reads "mind full or mindful" on a table

Most people have an interoceptive bias—they’re focused more on what’s going on internally [mentally] than on what’s happening externally. I think that this is an issue because we hear so often about the need to do a meditation practice that allows us to focus inward and that we’re getting yanked around by all the stressorsContinue reading “Exteroception vs Interoception: Getting Out of Your Head”