Hello? Ever feel like you’re constantly distracted?

Do you ever find yourself lost in thought? Maybe even distracted from an actual conversation by a lively inner dialogue?  A psychologist named Russell Hurlbert got really curious about the nature of our thoughts and designed a clever experiment involving a very specific little beep and a lot of note-taking to get people to stop and record exactly what they are thinking at specific moments in their day. 

He used his data to come up with 5 categories to describe the different things happening in our heads when we describe ourselves as “thinking.” 

• Category One: Inner speaking.  This is when you talk to yourself as if you are speaking out loud.   

• Category Two: Visual imagery. This is when you generate images of possible scenarios in your head that are not happening in the real world.  

• Category Three: Emotions. This one is a bit trickier than the first 2 but it’s basically when you are feeling something but can’t exactly describe it in words.  

• Category Four: Sensory Awareness. This is when you are aware of bodily sensations like a tickle in your throat or your beating heart.   

• Category Five: Unsymbolised Thinking.  This is when you can tell someone exactly what you were thinking but it’s disparate dot points.  

I consciously use Category Four: Sensory Awareness a lot to stay present in meditation. And Russell’s work led me to consider: “Could I use the same technique in a conversation?” When I “drift off” while someone is speaking, it’s often to engage in Category One: Inner Speaking. For example, I might catch myself preparing a response in my head. That means my Inner Speaker is drowning out the person in front of me (How rude!) So, I experimented with Sensory Awareness to gently but firmly “interrupt” my Inner Speaker.  I use simple things like the feel of my feet on the ground or my hands on the table. And it works!  My inner voice fades and the spotlight of my attention returns to the person in front of me. 

I use daily meditation to help embed this skill so that it’s easier to catch myself in ordinary, everyday moments. 

Try it for yourself and notice, “Where do you go when you’re lost in thought? And can you bring yourself back?” 

Written by Jennifer Crescenzo, ServiceQ Facilitator.

Jennifer’s facilitation style blends modern movement science, neuroscience, and principles from yoga and tai chi to help people enjoy better health, manage stress, and do what they love with more passion and purpose.