Have you ever noticed that once you are worried about something, you suddenly seem to notice it everywhere?
If you are worried about your health, you might become much more aware of every ache or sensation in your body. If you are worried that someone is annoyed with you, you might notice every change in their tone of voice. If you are feeling low, you might pay more attention to things that have gone wrong, things you have not achieved or reasons to feel bad about yourself.
This is not because you are deliberately choosing to focus on the negative. Our attention is influenced by how we are feeling, and this can create a cycle that keeps anxiety or low mood going.
When we are anxious
When we are anxious, our brain is often on the lookout for threat. Imagine walking through a forest while worried there might be a snake. You might scan the ground, notice every stick, movement and rustle, or even mistake a stick for a snake. Your attention has become threat-focused because your brain is trying to keep you safe.
The same thing can happen in everyday life. If you are worried about being judged, you might become very aware of how you are speaking, what your face is doing or how other people are reacting. If you are worried about your health, you might repeatedly scan your body for signs that something is wrong.
The more we focus our attention on potential threats, the more threatening things we may notice. The more threatening things we notice, the more anxious we can feel. Our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and behaviours can all influence one another. Where we put our attention can become part of this cycle too.
Widening the beam of the torch
We cannot always control which thoughts or emotions come into our minds, and we cannot control where our attention goes every second of the day. But we can practise becoming more aware of where our attention has gone and gently redirecting it when we need to.
Attention training is not about forcing yourself to think positively or ignoring difficult things. If you are anxious, you are not being asked to pretend there are no risks. If you are feeling low, you are not being asked to ignore everything that is difficult.
It is about widening the beam of the torch and learning to notice what else is happening around you, rather than allowing anxiety or low mood to completely decide where your attention goes.
You might ask yourself:
“Where has my attention gone?”
“Is this where I want my attention to be right now?”
Sometimes the answer will be yes. Sometimes you may decide to gently move your attention elsewhere. Like any skill, attention can be practised. In the next resource, you can try some exercises to practise placing and shifting your attention.