Hi! Coach J here!
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
This week will be a continuation of last week's topic/focus!
In a world full of noise and endless to-dos, distractions are part of daily life as we all learn to know. But the good thing is, they don’t have to control your day — or your peace... and THEY WON'T!
This week, I want to help you get even clearer on the two things we discussed last week:
✨ The difference between internal and external distractions..
✨ How to refocus gently when you find yourself off track and in need of rebalancing.
When you understand what’s pulling at your attention — and why it is pulling at your attention/focus— you can take back your time, your energy, and your peace of mind.
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Understanding External Distractions..(continued).
External distractions come from the world around you. They’re the things you can see, hear, and physically feel that break your attention and focus.
Some common examples:
-Notifications pinging on/coming to your phone.
-An untidy, cluttered workspace..or area in general.
-People interrupting you while you’re working.
-TV or any background noise.
-Multitasking or trying to do too many unrelated things at once..even if they are related in one way or another..Multitasking can become frustrating and/or overwhelming causing a distraction within the task themselves.
External distractions are often the easiest to spot — and the simplest to minimize. Clearing these helps your mind settle so you can give your full presence to what really matters in that moment.
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Understanding Internal Distractions
Internal distractions are the mental and emotional clutter we carry inside. These are the thoughts, worries, or feelings that quietly (sometimes noticeably) pull you away from the task at hand.
Some common examples:
-Worrying about the future.
-Overthinking or replaying past events.
-Doubting yourself or comparing yourself to others.
-Daydreaming when you really need to focus.
-Feeling emotionally overwhelmed by related and/or unrelated stress.
Internal distractions can be harder to see — and even harder to clear. They often need gentle self-awareness, self-compassion, and small, steady mindset shifts to overcome each one.
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How to Minimize External Distractions
Here are a few additional simple ways to create a clearer outer space for yourself:
✅ Silence notifications while you’re working and/or being productive.
✅ Put your phone out of sight and out of reach for focused time blocks.
✅ Tidy your workspace (whether at work or at home) at the start of the day to create a "fresh start" so to speak (type).
✅ Use noise-canceling music or find a quiet corner to think through your plans, tasks etc. for the day.
✅ Communicate your “focus time” to others so they know when not to interrupt or pull you away unless it is absolutely necessary.
Small actions like these can make a huge difference in how calm and productive you feel and for how long you feel productive as well.
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How to Minimize Internal Distractions
Clearing your mind takes more than cleaning your physical space — it means tending to and clearing the clutter or "block" in your inner world. Here’s how you can do that:
✅ Start your productive block with a “brain dump” — write down lingering thoughts or worries so they don’t overwhelm the mental space in your head.
✅ Take short pauses to breathe (actually BREATHE) when you feel your mind drifting.
✅ Practice grounding yourself with a simple mantra/reminder, like “I am here, I am in the now. And I will focus on that.”
✅ Be compassionate when you lose focus. Gently guide your mind back without judgment. Please BE KIND TO YOURSELF.
✅ Break big tasks into smaller steps so becoming overwhelmed doesn’t derail you.
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What Happens When You Get Off Track?
It’s normal to lose focus — you’re human, it happens. Life happens, then life continues to move forward after a pause and SO SHOULD YOU! The goal isn’t perfection; it’s knowing WHEN and HOW to come back to center.
When you catch yourself distracted:
✨ Pause and notice what pulled you away during that time— was it internal or external?
✨ Take a breath. Take two, three, four and five breaths if you have to without judgment.
✨ Clear what you can: silence the phone, write the thought down, close an extra tab.
✨ Refocus on just one next step at a time. One thing at a time. One moment at a time.
✨ Repeat as often as needed — each time you come back, you build your focus 'muscle' stronger.
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Coach J's Final Thoughts: You Can Begin Again.. at any time, how many times you need/have to.
Focus isn’t about force — it’s about intention.
It’s about clearing the noise outside and soothing the noise inside.
It’s about giving yourself permission to begin again, as many times as you need to without judgment.
You are capable of creating a calm, focused space in your day — and within yourself. Always remember that.
You’ve got this. And if you need a little guidance, I’m always here to help you clear the clutter and get back to your center!! (Schedule a free consultation)
Until next time ..... 💫!!
