Yousuf Raza – How do I stay focused on my tasks
AI: Summary ©
The importance of focusing on one's worship or activities, rather than just their busy busy activities, is discussed. This is especially true for stressors like anxiety and worry, which can lead to anxiety and distraction. It is suggested to manage one's time in a more organized and rewarding way, writing to manage one's time, and learning and practicing to be mindful of random thoughts and feelings.
AI: Summary ©
Question of the day, how can I focus
on my worship or anything else for that
matter?
How can we focus on activities at hand?
Whether that is worship, whether that is studying,
whether that is us interacting with our families,
how to be present in the moment, in
the activity that we're doing.
There can be multiple explanations as to why
we're not present in those activities, why we're
not actually there, can't focus.
Most straightforward is we're preoccupied.
And why are we preoccupied?
We may be stressed.
We have different kinds of issues going on
in our life that we're not properly addressing.
Another possible dimension is that we're not managing
our time properly.
There's a little bit of this and a
little bit of that and a whole lot
of this and a whole lot of that.
All of that going on in our lives
and it's chaotic.
Another possible reason, and that's one of the
sources of stress as well, that we have
some psychological conflicts.
Whether that has to do with our families,
whether that has to do with us not
being physically healthy, with us not being happy
with where we are academically, economically, in terms
of our job, profession or what have you,
in our relationships, whatever the case may be.
And that's preoccupying us.
That's bothering us.
And whatever needs to be done in order
to solve those problems, or if those problems
cannot be solved, then coming to terms with
those problems.
That's not being done.
And so those concerns, those stressors are lingering
in our head.
And they're not allowing for us to focus
on the task at hand.
So what can help is, obviously I'm doing
all of the things that I said and
easier said than done, managing our time better.
And a whole lot can be said as
to how we can manage our time better.
But simply put, planning.
Being able to plan your day, being able
to plan your week and actually writing it
out.
What am I doing today from this time
to this time?
What is my activity?
So whatever it is that may be preoccupying
you that belongs to another time segment of
your day, it just gets put there so
it doesn't have to bother you on another
time period.
So planning is one way.
And again, there's a lot of elaboration that
is required on that.
Maybe some other time.
As to the preoccupations that have to do
with stressors.
Diary writing helps.
See, our minds are jungles of ideas and
thoughts.
And the more chaotic these thoughts are, the
more anxiety provoking it becomes.
So when you see, let's say, a messy
table.
A messy table is anxiety provoking.
Because you don't know what's there and where
it is.
Similarly, because what that does is, in evolutionary
terms, it triggers that part of your brain
that would look at, within a jungle, some
trees and some bushes, and you don't know
what's behind them.
There may be snakes.
There may be scorpions.
There may be a dangerous animal there.
So anxiety is triggered.
Because you don't know what's there.
So whether it's in a jungle, or a
messed up table or a cupboard, or it's
a messed up, chaotic thought process, that there's
so many thoughts overwhelming us, it provokes anxiety.
And it doesn't allow for us to concentrate
on whatever it is that we're trying to
concentrate on.
What diary writing does, or just writing in
general does, it allows for you to declutter
your mind.
It allows for you to write it all
out.
Organize it.
Make more sense of it.
So the same mess inside, when it comes
out in a more organized fashion, it's less
anxiety provoking.
It is not as stressful.
Not as scary.
So you're able to deal with it better.
So you're able to make sense of it.
And it should be less preoccupying.
It should allow for you to focus at
the other tasks better.
Right?
Hopefully.
Now, another idea to do with focus, another
dimension that we need to focus on, whatever
activity that you are doing, do you have
the will to do it?
Is it meaningful to you?
Or is it cliché?
Has it become a mere ritual?
Has it become just empty movements, if we're
talking about worship?
Or any act of prayer?
Is it just being done for the sake
of it?
Or have you been able to identify what
it means in your life?
So if it's worship, then what role does
it have in the general picture of your
life, or where you're going as a person,
where you're growing as a person?
Are you able to relate your prayer to
your life, and your life to your prayer?
Or if it's your studies, what position, what
place do those have in whatever it is
that you're doing at that time, in terms
of growing, in terms of developing as a
person?
How are your studies contributing?
So if I'm engaged in reading a book,
or a course of study, whereas in my
mind I'm convinced that this course is not
for me, and my calling is somewhere else,
I should be doing something else.
So I will have a difficult time focusing
on that very demanding course, or that demanding
book, if I can't fit it into the
general structure of where my life is going.
Or if I haven't figured out where my
life is supposed to be going, then I'll
have difficulty aligning that course or that book
with whatever it is that my life is.
Similarly for worship.
If I'm harboring doubts in my head as
to the relevance of these actions within my
life, there will be problems.
If I'm harboring within my thought process, if
I think I don't really need this, for
example, I already have attained all of that
religious status that I'm looking for, that place
in paradise, or salvation is guaranteed for me.
And that's something that a lot of our
religious understandings across the board, most followers of
religion follow the particular religion that they do,
because they think simply claiming to follow it
is guaranteeing salvation.
And so actions of worship or actions acting
in accordance with those religious tenets, it becomes
irrelevant.
It becomes cliche.
It becomes meaningless.
So if we're coming with those ideas, whether
consciously held or unconsciously believed, we don't really
know that.
That's what makes psychology all the more scarier
and devastating, and interesting at the same time.
Because really if it was all of who
you are is what you say, and all
of what you say is what you think,
and that's the end of the story, there
would be no need for psychology.
There would be no need for psychiatry.
Everything would be so straightforward and boring to
be honest.
But it is way more complicated than that.
As human beings we're deeper than that.
We're too complex.
There's a lot of dynamics going on.
And so I may be thinking that no,
this act of worship is relevant to me.
It's important to me.
But at a deeper level, I think it's
just superfluous.
It's useless.
I don't need it.
I'm already forgiven.
I have my place in paradise booked, because
I belong to that religion, and that sect
of that religion, and that understanding of that
sect, and I did this and that on
that night, and on that day, and what
have you.
So to have that activity be meaningful in
your particular life, as to where your life
is going, what your life means to you,
that's important.
So more particularly in terms of prayer, are
you bringing gratitude to that worship, to that
act of prayer?
Do you feel the need to express gratitude?
Do you feel the need, dependence of asking
for help?
Because usually, typically, that's what worship and prayer
are to do, expression of gratitude and asking
for help.
If we think we need help, then we'll
be going there.
If we think we owe gratitude, then we
will be more focused, more involved.
So that said and done, it's a process.
Getting to be able to focus on something,
you may be alright in terms of not
having any stressors, or not having any issues
to deal with, or you may be okay
with respect to your spiritual beliefs, and everything
related to that.
But still, focusing becomes a challenge, in that
you have to push through.
So what happens, one particular phenomenon that takes
place, is we're trying to focus, and some
random thought comes in to our head.
Whether it's while studying, or worshipping, or any
other activity that we want to be doing.
And we become so flustered with ourselves, so
overwhelmed.
Why the * did this thought come to
me?
Why can't I focus?
Why am I so horrible?
Why am I so disinterested?
What is wrong with my belief?
What is wrong with my dedication, and commitment
to this cause?
Etc, etc, etc.
Now when you're going off on that route,
with that much anxiety, you're not going to
be able to focus.
So yes, expect that it is a process,
and all of those random thoughts will come.
Just gently drag yourself back.
Whenever the recognition comes, drag yourself back.
Whenever you're starting an activity, remind yourself.
How is this important to me?
Why is this meaningful for me?
Rather than just, boom, hitting it.
Take a step back, think.
Stop.
Empty out everything else.
Remind yourself.
Talk to yourself.
Coach yourself.
Okay, I'm here.
I'm giving a presentation in front of my
class.
I need to be involved with them.
Or I'm just reading this book.
Why is reading this book important to me?
Why is doing this assignment important for me?
Why is this worship important for me?
This reason, this reason, this reason.
Give yourself those reasons.
And tell yourself, alright, let me hit it
now.
Let me go at it.
And whatever else is distracting me, or threatening
to distract me, let me put that on
the side.
Note that down as to how I'm going
to do that at some other point later,
or what have you.
So I hope that was helpful.