Have you ever been in a flow state? You know, that vortex you’re sucked into without realizing it. Then suddenly, it’s five hours later and you’re hungry and almost feel drunk while blinking out of a fantastic stupor. I’m unsure how many people get to five hours of pure traditional meditation, but I’m sure there are a few non-monk folks that manage it.
I’ve been there. It’s an exquisite double-edged sword that stings in the best way every time it touches me. As a neurodivergent gal on the spectrum, I’m learning how to bend hyperfocus sessions into productivity. At times the session can be my brain unmovably fixating on a crochet project or folding laundry just so. While those meditation in motion moments are pluses for my overall mental health, they don’t exactly pay the bills.
This is where I find myself seeking ways of compounding the positive benefits of hyper focused creating. Here are a few things I’ve discovered (the hard way) that work for me.
1. Aim the focus where there’s less friction.
I greatly enjoy design work and artistry. So, I’ve made it a point to aim my focus potential at these things. It’s a much less painful task to direct my focus onto designs for the Etsy shop compared to other business-related tasks. I can get batches of designs completed before the focus breaks and I need to engage in low brain energy type tasks, such as prepping listings for all those new designs.
2. Keep it simple.
Sounds familiar, right? I’ve learned that I do not do well with transitions, abrupt or gentle. Transitions topple everything I had been working to structure and essentially destroy my focus for most of the day. It’s like trying to jam yourself into a new costume between sets of a show, but nothing fits properly. You’re just struggling to cope with the misalignment and before you know it, it’s what should be bedtime.
Leaning into simple means my schedule has a singular major focus every day, even weekends. One day may be writing, another is editing videos, the next is designing, and so on. Breaking up the work day into too many sections doesn’t work for me. I find myself incapable of writing for two hours in the morning, then designing for a few more hours, then business admin, and then voice over work – ugh! My everything hurts just writing this paragraph.
3. Be honest.
This one has probably taken the longest for me. Understanding my challenges and accepting the limitations of them has given me more freedom. I still struggle with existing in a world built for neurotypical folks and that’s okay. I like the world I’m building for myself and my business because I’ve found way to fit into some of the neurotypical cracks. As much as I write this as reminder to myself, it’s a gentle ripple reminder to everyone else as well.
It’s okay if your brain works differently. Work with your brain, not against it and you’ll probably be happy with the results.
All those words to come back around to the concept of creating and meditation. I firmly believe that meditation is not a one size fits all scenario. To me, meditation is a fundamental technique that anyone can practice in countless ways. What sort of ways do you meditate? Do you meditate at all? Do you think meditation is just hippy-dippy-woo woo junk?
I’m curious! Please, share your thoughts.
Here’s a link to a study found in the National Library of Medicine that’s worth a glance.
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