Attentional Holes

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In my last blog posting, I compared mental training to physical training, and suggested that mental recovery is an essential part of optimizing mental function. A good many of us are cognizant that excessive time with Instagram, Twitter or Facebook is probably not a practice of mental-hygiene, and instead, we may choose to spend downtime relaxing with a good book or an episode of a favorite show on Netflix. In moderation I think the latter options are preferable, though I’m of the mind that far too many of us have far too little boredom in our lives. Most of us are constantly sticking something into the attentional holes, filling our waking hours with stuff that has only incremental value, and significant opportunity-cost. (Thanks to Cal Newport for questioning the over-appreciation of incremental value and the concept of Digital Minimalism.)

The human head has a number of holes in it – nostrils, mouth, eyes and ears. The vast majority of us keep one or more of these attentional holes filled at all times. Whether listening to a podcast, sipping a flavored water, watching an informational video or scenting a room with a favorite essential oil, for the majority of people, one or more of the attentional holes are filled during every waking hour. As I mentioned in my previous blog posting, this constant stimuli is not without cost. Bodies need time to recover from physical activity, and minds need time to recover from mental activity.

The original Attentional Minimalists?

Humans are relentlessly curious creatures, and it’s only natural that we seek out stimuli. In our short tenure on this planet, curiosity allowed us to thrive, multiply and creatively figure out how to inhabit virtually every corner of this planet. That being said, the overwhelming majority of human history did not have the options and variety of mental stimuli at their fingertips. What we may now consider boring was likely how vast tracts of our ancestors' days were spent; quietly sitting around the fire, looking out from the mouth of a cave during a rainy day or just sitting – likely a lot of just sitting in between hunts and foraging outings.

Now we have 24/7 access to a steady stream of information, and the costs seem quite high – increasing levels of anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc. Social media has received a lot of blame for these upticks, though I’m inclined to think social media is a symptom of the problem and not necessarily the cause. In the coming week, I encourage you to examine how you’re plugging information into your attentional holes. More than likely you’ll find that at least one hole is filled at any given time in your waking life. What would it be like to not only put down your phone, but also set aside the book, magazine, or podcast and take some time to air out the attentional holes? Don’t even meditate! Just be.

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