Attentiveness
July 2024 Character Core
Have you ever been in the middle of a project, listening to a podcast or music, or looking at your phone and missed part of a conversation? Distractions are a natural and inevitable reality, but with some practice and helpful steps, you can improve your attentiveness and deal with distractions.
One of the most helpful ways to improve attentiveness is to practice active listening. The Center for Creative Leadership lists some steps to help improve this skill. These include paying attention to the other person, reflecting and clarifying what you are hearing, and asking summary questions. Improving attentiveness in conversation conveys that you value the conversation and the person you are speaking with.
Minimizing distractions can also help with attentiveness. Some ideas to help with this include avoiding unnecessary background noise, taking occasional breaks, silencing notifications, and limiting screen time. Training your mind to focus can be difficult, but tackling one distraction at a time helps make it more achievable.
Another way to increase your attentiveness when around others is to improve your observation skills. Learning to be more observant can be as simple as taking a few moments when you enter a room or situation noticing who is present or taking time to identify the sounds and smells. These actions can help to cement your memory of the interaction and double as a great mental workout!
As you practice attentiveness in daily life and interactions, the benefits lead to deeper conversations, more meaningful experiences, and memorable moments. But the benefits don’t only apply to you. By being more attentive, you communicate to those around you that you value them.
“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” – Simone Weil
https://www.mindtools.com/almhbqr/8-ways-to-improve-your-powers-of-observation-video
