How to access inner connection in an era of overstimulation

You wake up and instinctively check your phone. You hop in your car and immediately turn on some music. You get home from work and reach for the TV remote.

Do you see the pattern?

In today's world, we are inundated by external stimulation from modern technology. And this wreaks havoc on our mental state.

“Most of our minds are pretty wild," says Diana Winston of the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center. "They’re racing around thinking about a million things.”

So how do we access inner connection in an era of overstimulation?

According to Diana, we must exit our 'narrative selves' and enter into our 'experiential selves.'

The process is easier than you might think, and can be done in as little as 5 minutes.

“We start people with a focused attention from their breathing,” Diana says. "Notice your breathing; feel your natural breath. When you notice your mind starting to wander away from focusing on your breathing, focus again on your breathing."

Practicing mindful practices like this breathing exercise can help you take back 5-10 minutes of your daily life and can help you tap back into your inner connection that is otherwise overwhelmed by the technology-driven stimuli of modern life.

Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, put down the phone, turn off the TV, and take a couple minutes to simply focus on your own breath. 

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