If you want to boost your positivity this year, than selective attention is the key.
What’s that you ask?
Let me give you a little demonstration.
What if I invited you to focus on the colour red for the next 3 hours, what do you notice happening? All of a sudden red objects, plants and animals start to catch your eye. Right!
That’s selective attention.
Now The Psychological Term Explained
Selective attention is a term used in cognitive psychology to refer to the mental process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment, whilst simultaneously ignoring irrelevant information that is also occurring in the environment.
In the 1950s, Donald Broadbent, a psychologist, came up with the filter theory of selective attention, which supports the classic research of E Colin Cherry’s cocktail party phenomenon.
Have you ever noticed how you can tune into one conversation whilst tuning out of others?
How does it relate to positivity?
Well, if our minds tend to focus on what we search for, placing more focus on positive events will help us create a positive attitude, which in turn gives us a positive outlook on life.
How to do it?
Head over to Office Works and purchase a packet of post it notes. You want to have your post it notes and pen in the one area because that’s where you will be displaying your notes.
Whenever something wonderful, amazing or joyful happens to you, you must, must record it. Write it on your post it and stick it up.
I’ve put all my post it notes on the inside of my kitchen cupboard. That way every time I go to take my vitamins, I see them. Other examples are on your bathroom mirror, back of a door, or fridge.
Let’s call it the positivity wall!
Still Stuck On What To Put On Your Positivity Wall?
What about ….
What just made you feel happy? Write it & stick it!
What just happened that made you feel good about yourself? Write it & stick it!
What inspired you today? Write it & stick it!
What great thing did you do or learn today? Write it & stick it!
Now you get the idea.
If looking everyday at the most amazing things that have happened to you does not make you feel great … I’d love to know what would.
The idea is to not only focus on the good stuff, but also remember the good stuff.
It’s that easy.
It’s a fact that the more positive you are, the more likely you are to be a positivity magnet and attract other positive people.
What do you think?
Have you found a technique to boost your positivity? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Why not share the positivity wall with three people who you think will benefit from creating their own.
Fiona Craig is a work-life balance coach, business coach, writer, speaker and busy mum who helps women become better at juggling their career and family or to start a business for a better work-life balance. You can call Fiona on 0405 433 217 for a 20 minute FREE Rapid Results coaching session to discuss ways she can help you to achieve your life goals.References:
Dr Dewey, Selective Attention, Psych Web. Retrieved 19th January 2014 from http://www.intropsych.com/ch07_cognition
