4 Fun Ways To Improve Focus & Mindfulness
Working on mindfulness is often framed as a somewhat solemn practice and with good reason. We outlined some of the basic ways to focus on engaging and increasing mindfulness in our book review of Everyday Mindfulness, touching on things like learning to tap into your feelings, exploring your relationship with yourself, and so on. These are calm, beneficial, and introspective matters that do call a certain solemnity to mind.
While those solemn and introspective practices are the primary ways to work on mindfulness, there are also some other techniques people can turn to in order to hone relevant skills. Furthermore, some of these alternatives are a little more “fun,” which can make them inviting particularly for those new to mindfulness.
A handful of specific activities come to mind in this regard.
Puzzle Games
There is something almost meditative about puzzle games. This has become particularly true in the age of mobile gaming, given how many developers now look to infuse these games with pleasing sounds and tranquil atmospheres. Not all of these games fit the description of course, but many do. Lifewire’s list of great puzzle apps in particular highlights the sorts of titles we’re talking about zen, atmospheric games like Monument Valley, Prune, and 1010. These games absorb your attention and get you to focus your mind on a single task to the exclusion of all else. Even a good old-fashioned puzzle can help to bring about this sense of meditative awareness.
Poetry Recitation
Memorization demands a sort of focus and internal calm. For those with an interest in poetry or literature, this can be a helpful and peaceful outlet (and one that’s not utilized often these days). You need only find a few poets you like, locate some favorite passages, and set about learning them by heart. In doing so, you’ll train your mind to hone in on one thing at a time, and you’ll benefit by doing an exercise that is entirely mental in nature. Some of my favorites are Kahlil Gibran, Mary Oliver, and Wendell Berry.
Poker/Chess
The game of poker, or chess for that matter, can be treated very casually, in which case it does little to focus the mind or teach mindfulness techniques. Taken somewhat more seriously though, these strategic games demand the kind of attention that really can train you to center your attention and dismiss distractions. Those who take the time to learn poker know that being distracted even for one hand can be a problem, and Poker.org’s guide to playing online points out that a lot of competitive players also study the game regularly. This means they have to remain focused enough to call on the information they’ve learned in the middle of each game. This is not to say you have to devote too much time to the game to benefit from it. But taking these games somewhat seriously does involve a sort of mental focus training that can help you along your pursuit of a more mindful lifestyle.
Coloring
Unlike poetry recitation, coloring has become something of a trend in recent years. Many adults have found that the childhood hobby actually helps to relieve stress and anxiety; as a writer at The Oprah Magazine put it, “when yoga doesn’t cut it, a box of crayons does.” There is simply something soothing about filling in pictures, and it’s very effective in shutting out external stress factors and centering the mind. The ability to “turn your brain off” isn’t such a bad one to master if you’d like to be more mindful, and coloring really does help you to turn off the noise.
These games and hobbies alone, mind you, do not make up a comprehensive effort to bring about better mindfulness often more specific techniques are still needed. But for some it is helpful to know that there are some enjoyable hobbies that can effectively teach certain mindfulness techniques. Engage in these hobbies and you may just find that you're better primed to improve your mindfulness more broadly!