The ABCs of Refocusing

Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood

Sometimes life can be more challenging than we anticipate.  We may think it is going to be a smooth path, but instead there are several obstacles along the way.  There are many occasions when we contribute to the disruption.  Maybe we make mistakes and do things that we regret.  The bottom line is, there are many times when we need to simply refocus.

Our brain is a thinking machine.  We have many thoughts that come in and out of our mind.  Sometimes very quickly.  At times these thoughts are helpful and at times they are not.  It is a process to learn to refocus and shift where our head is at.

Start by identifying one time during your day when you were feeling a bit worked up or stressed.  Grab a piece of paper and write down what you were thinking about during that time.  Now take a few deep breaths.  Write out a few things that would have been more helpful to think about during that time.  After you do this for a few days, you are ready to take it real time.  One or two times during the day, let’s do some ABCs.

A – be aware of where your head is at

B – breathe

C – choose what you want to think about of focus on next

Using your ABCs will help you learn to shift your attention to what is helpful.  And help you to stay more in the present moment when you perform.