The Cost of Not Paying Attention, and How to Come Back into Balance

Sometimes, when we are not paying attention or attending to what is in front of us in our lives, we throw ourselves out of balance. I was reminded of this last summer when I realized in a moment of panic that I had forgotten to turn the water off from the hose outside that I was using to add some water to our pool. Instead of letting the water run for a half hour or so, I had accidentally let it run for about 24 hours! This was a big mistake on many accounts, with consequences such as overflowing the pool, wasting precious water, potentially draining our well, during a drought no less, not to mention throwing the perfectly balanced water out of balance, as evidenced by the cloudy, murky color that it began to turn! Normally, to keep the water balanced, I test it periodically with a test strip so that I can make small adjustments as needed. In this case, my lack of attending to what I was doing took a bigger toll and required additional efforts to restore equilibrium. So it is with us too, is it not? If we set aside the time on a consistent basis to attend to our needs and to notice when we start to become out of balance, we can take steps to self-correct, to engage in the necessary self-care to come back into balance (or to help bring a relationship back into balance). But if our inattention and mindlessness go on for too long, it can be much harder to repair the imbalances, and can take a toll on our emotional and/or physical health.  Identifying Your “Test StripR...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: ADHD and ADD Habits LifeHelper Mindfulness Personal Self-Help Stress attention Attentiveness awareness Concentration Emotional Regulation Life Balance Tension Source Type: blogs