This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Hyperfocus" by Chris Bailey. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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What is the difference between meditation and mindfulness? How do you get started with these practices?
Productivity expert Chris Bailey argues that meditation and mindfulness can contribute to your productivity by training you to focus. He makes a distinction between the two practices and explains how you can reap their benefits by making them daily habits.
Keep reading to learn about the benefits of meditation and mindfulness and how to make them a part of your daily routine.
Understanding Meditation and Mindfulness
While many people use the terms meditation and mindfulness interchangeably, Bailey does not. Bailey explains that when you meditate, you focus on a single thing and bring your attention back to it when your mind wanders. When you practice mindfulness, you pay attention to everything you experience in a given moment. For example, if you wash dishes mindfully, you pay attention to everything that happens moment-by-moment, like how the water feels on your skin or how it sounds as it hits the sink.
In both meditation and mindfulness, you regularly refocus your attention. But when you meditate, you refocus your attention on a single task—like breathing. Practicing mindfulness is not about focusing on a single thing but about noticing your current circumstances and directing your attention to whatever you’re currently doing instead of letting your mind wander away. (Shortform note: Other people also distinguish between meditation and mindfulness, but their definitions differ from Bailey’s. For example, mindfulness expert Elisha Goldstein defines meditation as intentionally doing something good for yourself and mindfulness as a general awareness of your circumstances. She refers to what Bailey calls practicing mindfulness—purposefully noticing what you experience in a given moment—as “mindfulness meditation.”)
Incorporating Meditation and Mindfulness Into Your Daily Life
So how, exactly, can you reap the benefits of both meditation and mindfulness? Bailey urges you to make both a daily habit.
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Here's what you'll find in our full Hyperfocus summary :
- Why it's just as important to learn how to manage your attention, along with your time
- Why you still feel tired no matter how many breaks you take
- Strategies for managing your attention for better productivity and creativity
