What's the likelihood you are going to scroll through this newsletter article on scrolling? I suspect I'm not alone in a penchant for scrolling. 

Don't get me wrong. There is value in the scroll. It helps you quickly decide if something is relevant. Maybe all that is required is a quick, light read. 

Personally, I've been feeling a bit off balance lately. When it comes to reading something on the screen, I've noticed that I'm skipping through it too often. I'll get distracted by something else online and never finish it. My mind has wandered and before I know it, I've opened three more tabs on my laptop. By the time I get to the end of the article, I may have missed more than I took away from it.  

The challenge isn't the reading part. We are reading all day long. It is the amount of stamina we have to remain focused so that we can really comprehend, integrate, and connect more deeply with what we are reading. It is also the amount of resolve we have to let go of what is pulling us away in the moment. 

I was reading an article in Real Simple magazine this past week, "Reading Over Coffee in the Morning Could Sharpen Your Focus All Day Long." I'm not a coffee drinker, but I appreciated the observation that reading gives our attention a sense of continuity. As opposed to scrolling through an article or shifting attention to and from different websites, it also builds our active thinking skills and helps us improve our focus.   

My mindfulness practice is really helpful here. When I'm reading an article of substance and I notice that I have skipped further down or shifted my attention to something else, I lead my eye back to read it through.  I return to the words I missed just as I gently return my attention to the meditation when my mind wanders.  

I have noticed that the less I switch my attention, the more settled I feel in the moment.

I'm curious about your experience.

If you’ve made it all the way through this article, what challenges did you face in releasing distractions and remaining focused?