Now and easy are successful terms in online sales and attention deficit is a medical diagnosis. On the other hand we see children who are focused for hours on their video games, always trying to improve and win. So, is it true or not that social media is a problem for concentration?

The problems that really exist

Learning disabilities, difficulty concentrating, childhood hyperactivity, bored behavior of young people when they do not have a cell phone, signs of withdrawal symptoms and difficulty in social interaction in person. These and others are real manifestations that we can all observe in everyday life. Doctors and teachers must face this reality that seems to negatively influence the harmonious psychophysical development of young people towards maturity.

MIND&BODYFULNESS offers practical solutions to address these difficulties both for those who suffer from them and for those who want to help others who suffer from them. To begin, you need to understand the difference between attention and concentration.

Attention is not the problem!

Attention is the glue that connects us to something or someone. Saying that someone is glued to the TV means that their attention is only there. This does not mean that they are focused, however.

What is concentration?

Concentration is made up of two ingredients: attention and will. With will, attention becomes an interaction. When you are concentrated you are aware of the effect that the thing or person produces in you. You understand the meaning of this and you react according to your will. You're not enchanted. At this point it is clear that to solve the problems related to attention and concentration you need willpower.

What do you want?

When you don’t know what you want, you can’t concentrate. Without willpower we are constantly subject to distraction. Losing the ability to concentrate is like losing the ability to move. You lose many opportunities that life offers. I am convinced that I am writing nothing strange when I say that living well means being able to live your free will. Later we see how social media takes away our will and our concentration but first let's do a short mental exercise. As you read the first sentence below, observe the spontaneous and immediate response that comes up. Then, do the same with the other sentences.

• Are pleasure and desire the same thing?
• If not, could you explain the difference?
• “If I like it, I want it.” Do you agree?
• “If I don’t like it, I don’t want it.” Do you agree?

Perhaps it is not entirely clear to you that wanting and liking are two completely different things, made to work together like the right and left hand. To understand the difference well you can do this exercise.

• Make yourself comfortable
• Think of a goal you want to achieve (e.g. lose weight, visit a place, be more relaxed, etc.)
• Make a picture of your goal in your mind
• Have you reached your goal now?

With our mind we can travel through time and space without limits by thinking about what we want to achieve. But to achieve a goal we must also consider the physical reality of our body. Our body is always and only here and now. That's why you can want stand on top of a mountain to enjoy the spectacular view but you don't like the tiring walk uphill.

Pleasure is the energy of the here and now. Instant gratification.
Will is the energy of choosing our own goal. Delayed gratification.

To eliminate this physical aspect of reality as much as possible, we have filled the earth with inventions for our convenience. In our example of the mountain it could be a cable car. In our daily lives we are overflown with electronic devices that make an entire world available to us with minimal physical effort. The biology of life teaches us that it is natural to create comfort. Imagine that today you would still have to commit to walking as when you learned it as a child. You would have very little to do in life other than walking itself. By nature we develop habits, automatisms and therefore comforts. These comforts allow us to live the higher functions of human life. Now that walking is a habit, you can choose where you want to go, why you want to go there and how you want to walk. Your habits and your automatisms are recorded in your body and following them is comfortable and therefore pleasant. The pleasure of good habits gives you the initial energy to undertake the journey towards your goals and everything goes smoothly because reaching the goal then gives you the profound energy of satisfaction. So pleasure and will are a winning couple like your hands. The problem begins when the gratification of pleasure becomes the goal, that is, pleasure without will. And here starts the problem of social media and technology in general.

Social Media: The Infinite Childhood

If childhood is the time of carefreeness and adulthood is that of infinite possibilities, adolescence is the intermediate stage of transformation. The child develops mainly through play according to the principle of stimulus and response. The mature adult has the power of understanding and will to learn and to be a unique personality. Adults create all the basic habits in children through education. To give them the opportunity to develop their full human potential, they must transmit to them the natural balance between pleasure (immediate gratification) and will (delayed gratification). During adolescence, a young person naturally desires greater freedom and autonomy, and therefore he will have to leave behind childish play to embrace the responsibility of his individual will with its gratification connected to commitment. Regular physical activity, along with broad and varied social contact during growth, greatly stimulates the delayed gratification connected to willpower. Are you starting to see the problem that is being created through the overuse of social media and technology in general?

With the constant instant gratification of social media and technology in general, young and old are constantly stimulated to live a chain of instant pleasures as the solution to all evil that real life puts in front of us. You do not need to want anything, everything is already done for you, served the way we like it. The allure of endless childhood and the lack of good psychophysical habits are a powerful threat to personal and social health and well-being. 

The MIND&BODYFULNESS solution

To understand in more detail what Mind&BodyFulness is, you can read this article of the blog. Here you'll find practical solutions for the difficulties that are reinforced by the abuse of social media.

In my work I meet so many people of all ages who tell me they can't live the way they want to. They feel trapped in habits and daily patterns that don't lead to health or well-being. Mind&BodyFulness makes a person aware that he or she can change himself or herself, bringing the interaction between pleasure and desire back into balance. Unfortunately, bad habits are also comfortable and therefore we do not have this great desire to get rid of them. Mindful movement, preferably in nature, will allow you to experience the well-being that comes from correct movement. With your mind disconnected from the infinite digital and virtual world, you will discover how to carefully choose the thoughts you want to think. You will be able to resist the strong tendency to always be connected to everything and everyone except yourself. Then, when you can transform your will into a psychophysical well-being, you will be able to live your life in your strength! Over time, you will strengthen your good habits and create new ones to replace the bad ones.

Heart coherence

Heart coherence is the physical state of harmony between the brain of the head and the brain of the heart. When these two essential organs collaborate, physical systems such as the immune system and the hormonal system are regulated at their best. In this state of coherence it is possible to modify automatisms and habits recorded in the body. MIND&BODYFULNESS uses the device of Heartmath to train your heart coherence. Objective measurements will show you your progress. The techniques you learn are simple, valid and practical in every situation of life.

Measure your lifestyle

Seeing what your body goes through during your day is like looking in the mirror and seeing both what you like and what you don't like. Without a mirror it would be more difficult to adjust yourself the way you want to. Through the device Firstbeat Life and Mind&BodyFulness coaching you can not only see the effect of your lifestyle on your body, but you can also fix your habits that no longer work for you. The measurements concern your balance between activity and rest, the quality of your sleep and the benefit of your physical activity. Change, yes you can!

Book your consultation to discover how MIND&BODYFULNESS can help you and your loved ones live the best of your life.