Hello, my name is Chris. I’m the Director of Creative Media here at Sarreid Ltd. We’re starting a new segment here on the blog (as you’ve undoubtedly noticed, (duh!) called Chris’ Corner. It all began because I write internal documents to our constituents that seem to entertain. I’ll make you exactly two promises in this Corner. One, I don’t know furniture the way that I’m sure 100% of you reading this article do, and over the coming months, that will become indubitably obvious. And two, that you will find these articles light-hearted, sometimes humorous, sometimes informative, sometimes emotional, sometimes trivial, sometimes personal, and almost always an irreverent break from the industry norm. With that said, I cordially and humbly invite you into Chris’ Corner!
The Power In Distraction
I engage in various mind-stimulation games. Sometimes, I have picked up a video game controller and conquered all my foes. Occasionally, I have enjoyed a mindless movie or listened to a favorite playlist. So what? Some people find these activities, or equivalents thereof, a way to check out and decompress from a stressful day, lower mental or emotional disquiet, or even lessen physical pain. Others consider them a waste of precious time serving no useful purpose. But this latter group fails to recognize what can be gained from such endeavors, which is considerable.
There’s a lot of negativity surrounding distractions, and heaven knows we have many of them in today’s society –chances are you’re reading this on one of today’s most prominent distraction devices. I was once bonding with my daughter over some childish activity when a question arose over what superpower we would choose (if we could.) I wish I could tell you what she selected, but I checked a text on my phone as she was answering. When I looked up from typing my reply, she was gone. I’d lost that opportunity forever. Something I vowed to never let happen again. I got caught up in a bad distraction.
But are all distractions bad? I think not. There’s a difference between being distracted by happenchance and intentionally sidetracking one’s focus. Back in school, my teachers constantly “corrected” my distractibility (not their fault, really, they were responding to the accepted teaching methods from the day, which believed students had to sit still at a desk and remain quiet and focused for hours.) I’m not sure when I figured it out, but I learned that deliberate distraction can be a way to feed one’s imagination, solve problems, and foster creativity.
There is research that shows being distracted actually proves helpful when wrestling with a problem or suffering from a blockage of creativity. So, while getting mentally sidetracked may be awful in some situations (bonding with daughters, driving a car) and counterproductive in others (a heart-to-heart talk), it can also be very beneficial at times. Oftentimes, the easiest way to make one’s task more difficult is to simply try too hard, meaning we become locked in mentally by constantly obsessing over it with a persistent laser-like focus.
A harmless distraction is a way to ease off, get the conscious mind to zone out, chill, and engage the subconscious, which is the very part of the psyche that usually comes up with answers and innovations. Einstein has said he never realized any of his scientific breakthroughs via rational thought alone. He always relied heavily on his intuitive mind, which frequently offers up little tidbits of insight and wisdom when we are otherwise distracted. Ever come up with an answer or had an epiphany in the shower? Yep, happens to me all the time!
I hope you have an excellent month!
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