Lost in the Moment

Ardha chandrasana: interlace your fingers making a nice and tight grip, straighten your arms extending to the ceiling, now slowly bend as far as you can to the right…

You might not believe it, but most Saturday mornings this is what I hear as I go through the 26 postures of a 90-minute hot yoga class – all completed at a temperature of 108 °F (42 °C). People often ask me why I would choose to undergo such a gruelling exercise, and my answer is always the same: hot yoga grounds my busy thoughts and helps me be more mindful, focused, and productive in all areas of my life – especially work.

If you think you are hearing more about wellbeing and mindfulness, you’re right. From 2012 to 2017, the number of adults in the U.S. practicing yoga increased by 50%, and those meditating more than tripled. These trends are no surprise.  A recent Gallup poll found that global ‘negative experience’ levels – which is a measure of worry, stress, pain, sadness, and anger – was at an all-time high in 2018. People are looking for ways to manage their increasing stress levels, and as a result, wellbeing practices are being embraced more than ever.

In my career, what interests me most with these trends is how wellbeing practices can create a more productive, inspiring, and fulfilling work environment. I have spent a lot of time studying and thinking about this topic and have come to the conclusion there is one practice, that if embraced, will make a significant difference: become ‘lost in the moment’.

But, what do I mean by this? Let me start with a personal example. 

I love writing. It allows me to structure my ideas and challenge my assumptions with facts and evidence, rather than just relying on my random thoughts. While writing, I have been known to be so focused that I don’t notice anything else happening around me. In fact, on one occasion, my assistant walked up right next to me, dropped off a document, and I never realized she was there! It’s while being ‘lost in these moments’ of rhythm and focus I feel I do my clearest and sharpest thinking, and it becomes much easier for me to find answers to challenging issues.

So, I am delighted to share three tips with you that help me create the right conditions where I can ‘become lost in the moment’:

1.    Plan uninterrupted time. It’s difficult to get ‘lost in the moment’ with the constant distractions of endless phone notifications, people dropping by to chat and other interruptions. In a well-known study, researchers from London’s Institute of Psychiatry found that constant interruptions reduce a person’s IQ by 10 points, which obviously doesn’t allow you to do your most thoughtful work. Each week I try and schedule time to find a quiet space, turn off the notifications, and work without interruption. 

2.    Practice mindfulness. Once you have uninterrupted time, it’s important to train your brain to be able to work and think effectively in this setting. Regular mindfulness practices such as yoga, meditation, and conscious breathing are methods to increase focus and decrease mind wandering. Although these practices will help you to ‘lose yourself in the moment’, inevitably there will always be runaway thoughts that wander in. When this happens, I find that writing down these distracting thoughts with the intention to revisit at a later time allows me to maintain focus.

3.    Practice, practice, practice. You may find that when you begin making a conscious effort to ‘lose yourself in the moment’ that you don’t notice immediate big changes. The key is creating a system and having the discipline to stick with it. University College London Researchers found that, on average, it takes people 66 days of practice before a new behaviour becomes routine. I have been practicing yoga and listening to the same dialogue for more than 20 years, and I’m still improving and discovering new insights.

Ultimately, being ‘lost in the moment’ is about realizing that nothing can change the past, and the future is in your hands. The NY Times best-selling author Eckhart Tolle called this, “The Power of NOW.” He said, “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.” I couldn’t agree with this quote more. However, I would add to always consider the present in the context of possible future scenarios. 

Now, as you’ve read this article, here’s my challenge to you: look at your calendar and identify one piece of work that really matters, and then craft the conditions to create a piece of work that you can be truly proud of.

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PS: I am not the most spiritual person, and most people who know me would probably describe me more as a pragmatist. Thus, if the becoming ‘lost in the moment’ can work for me, it will most likely work for you!