“When you let your attention slide for a bit, don’t think you will get back a grip on it whenever you wish. Bear in mind that because of today’s mistake everything that follows will be necessarily worse. Is it possible to be free from error? Not by any means, but it is possible to be a person always stretching to avoid error. For we must be content to at least escape a few mistakes by never letting our attention slide.” Epictetus, Discourses.

We live in a world of distraction. Multi-tasking has been shown to be a drain on quality and productivity, and yet we expect ourselves to manage it all. In lockdown, we had the opportunity to reduce these distractions: no longer commuting to work or school, perhaps furloughed, we had more time on our hands.

Use your time wisely to practise regaining your focus and learning to exclude external distractions. Mindfulness meditation exercises the mind in the same way as weight training exercises your muscles. Train your brain now and be prepared for the increased  distractions that a return to the ‘new normal’ has brought. Then you’ll be more comfortable going with the twists and turns of life, safe in the knowledge that you can return to ‘being you’, right here, in the moment.