First things first. If you are experiencing a lack of focus, there is no shame. There is no judgment. It's okay, and it happens to everyone. Before you focus on getting your focus back, allow yourself the permission to remember that there are many factors as to why you could be losing focus. Factors that don't make you weak or incapable if you can't figure it out right away or if you can't stay focused 100% of the day.
Secondly, if you find yourself distracted, off the course that you feel you're supposed to be traveling, just remember that that awareness, even in a space of distraction and lack of focus, is still a sign of aliveness. You're still here. You're still in this thing. Even when it feels like you have been swept away by a heavy gush of wind, there is still room within for slow and steady growth. Remember: you are still here, and there is still a way back.
Number three, because there are so many factors as to why one might lose focus, there are many ways back into focus. Sometimes a lack of focus represents a lack of passion. Maybe you're no longer interested in the things that you're doing. Boredom finds you. Redundancy finds you, and your mind wanders. If you find yourself in that place, remember that sometimes life is repetitive. Life is boring. Life is dreadfully ordinary. And that's okay. We don't always have to be passionate every day. And also, we're allowed to change course. We're allowed to change our minds. We are allowed to wander and be curious in this life.
You may have been lectured in school and made to feel as though if you lose focus, that somehow means that you're worth less, or you're not good enough. But in reality, we are all wired so differently and beautifully. Even if you sat in that classroom and in that setting every single day, that person does not know you well enough to determine the unique way that you will learn and find focus. There is always room to find your way back into focus again, without judgment.
And finally, there is no shame in seeking help. If you need help coming back into focus, speak to someone who can help. You're allowed to seek professional help. If that's something that you need to do, you're allowed to spend time unpacking what it might mean - that you're struggling with focusing - with someone that you trust. We need each other and we need these conversations. We need to continually remind one another that there are many distractions and reasons and factors as to why focus might be difficult. It does not make us weak if it's something that we are actively working through. It does not make us weak when we have moments where our minds wander off or when we're thinking about other things. It's okay. There is room to come back. There is room to come back at a gentle, mindful pace.
I would like to leave you with a question. You can either journal about this or just carry it with you throughout the day: Throughout the day, have you ever felt shame for a lack of focus? If so, what truth do you need to be reminded of?