A 3-Minute Mindfulness Exercise to Develop Focus

Dec 5

Try this exercise when you need to stop distraction, come back to the present, and focus on your performance - all you need is five fingers.

It’s a Thursday morning and there’s much remaining on my weekly to-do list, including a workout and training session.

But I’m distracted and I feel my mind bouncing from one thought to the next. I’m aware that my attention is scattered and I try to reset my focus, but my mind runs away from me.

Self-criticism sets in and my inner dialogue turns ugly. I want to move forward with my day but multitasking becomes the name of the game and I’m left feeling agitated and unproductive.

So maybe this state of distraction is an all too familiar scenario for you and as yoga teacher, and athlete that frequently suffers from bouts of distraction that can disrupt my training, I’d like to share a helpful practice.

Rather than throw my hands in the air and call the day a wash, I’ve found the following sensory exercise tried and true over the years as a way to shift gears, grab the reins to take charge of my mind, and return to steady focus so that I can perform at my best.

And the best part, it takes three minutes, five fingers and does not require additional materials; just an open mind. You can do this exercise anywhere and very discreetly, no one would ever know that you’re doing it, unless you choose to share of course.

The five fingers of our hand represent the five senses associated with the human body: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. In this exercise we are purposely directing our attention to each of our senses and repeating what we’re experiencing using our fingers as a countdown and means to reinforce our observations and focus.

It goes something like this:

Look around your space and identify five things that you can see and say them aloud without hurry. Truly look and see what your sense of sight is revealing to you. What shades of color, shapes, angles and patterns do you see?
Now look around and name four things that you can hear in the present moment and again, say aloud what your ear is discerning. What background noise do you hear? Can you hear the layers of sound and even the sound behind the sound?
Next, find three items within grasp that you can touch, say them aloud. Pause between each one to connect with the sensory stimulation arising from your fingertips. What texture, temperature and weight do you feel within your hands?
After exploring touch, say aloud two items that you can smell and notice if an image or memory immediately follows. Sit with that imagery for a moment. Can you breathe a little more deeply and more slowly?
What is one thing you can taste in your mouth? The remnants of coffee, your toothpaste or just simply the taste of wet saliva on each tooth… don’t make it complicated, just sense.

Repeat as needed and play with the order and count of these senses; everyone has a different and favorite sense they like to connect with, so find what works best for you.

The only requirement to “succeed” at this exercise is the desire and intention to practice with an untethered expectation of how it should feel or look like for you; simply practice for the sake of practice.

Now, I invite you to pause and actually take a few minutes to do this exercise. And when you finish, take a deep breath, and slowly integrate back into your environment with a fresh perspective, a clear mind, and a sense of curiosity and reverence for our ability to choose where we place our attention.

Give yourself permission to start over when you feel distraction leading you away from the present moment and remember, it’s part of being human. Learning to come to your senses, literally, offers a foundation to develop focus, stop distraction, and train your mind to pay attention to the things that matter most in your day-to-day. And with that, enjoy your practice!

Interested in developing greater game-time focus and boosting your performance? Checkout my 1-on-1 holistic performance coaching program for athletes and apply if it’s a good fit.