Week Five in Renewing Our Minds

This week in our Renewing Our Minds study, we are going to talk about how the state of our world today keeps us distracted, and how being distracted keeps us from fully connecting to the inner faith life that we desire and that God desires to have for us.

So far in our time together we have learned so much, so let’s quickly recap!

First, all of this study is devoted to being able to grow closer to God and one another, and while we all deal with emotional and mental challenges every day- some bigger than others- neuroscience teaches us that God made our brains capable of change. And that’s a wonderful gift!

We also have learned that our thoughts influence our feelings, and our feelings influence our actions. So, since we have malleable brains, we now know that we have the ability to change our thoughts, and in so doing, we can change our actions and our emotions. 

We have discussed and practiced tools from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT therapy) that include learning to accept a challenging situation, in order to come into the present moment and mindfully choose the direction that best fits our values. In our group discussions we have shared a number of tools that help us to slow down and be present, including turning down the dial of our thoughts, breathing exercises, and even just grounding and noticing the room around us. 

And while there’s more (you can go back to previous blog posts to read all that we’ve discussed), all of this time together is in service of growing our faith, enriching our prayer lives, and building our connections with Jesus and one another.

This week we’re going to look at another challenge we face to continually renewing our minds and taking our thoughts captive: distraction. 

First, let’s define distraction.

For the purposes of our time together, we are going to look at distraction as all of the input that is constantly coming at us from every angle. 

A couple of lessons ago, we talked about how if we want to take every thought captive, we must be mindful of our input- those images and sounds that we take in through our eyes and our ears. You can check out that post here to see what we discussed.

But for this discussion, we want to simply look at the reality that in our digital age, our brains operate differently than brains did even a generation ago. Or honestly even half a generation ago! Or even a decade ago!

The internet made information easily accessible, at our fingertips in under a second. 

Streaming services meant that we could pull up a movie or a show in the same time frame.

And then social media made it so that we could see what our friends are up to, what celebrities are in hot water, and what Instagram thinks we want to buy… all in the time it takes to open your phone and tap an app. 

So, information is quick and easy to access. But there’s more!

What about notifications? To be honest, notifications are probably even worse.

Ping. Your friend wants to invite you to go out. Ping. You need to know about what’s happening in the world of politics. Ping. Someone commented on your post. Ping. Your DoorDash will be there in 20 minutes.

My anxiety just went up even typing that, so how are you dealing with that as your reality? 

The answer is: the same as all of us. Not great. Let’s discuss…

Why is distraction a problem, from a mental health perspective?

There are many reasons that distraction is a problem from a mental health perspective. We’re going to discuss two of them.

First: the rapid-fire information coming at us weakens our ability to sustain focus. 

I have heard more from young people in recent years that they worry that they have ADD or ADHD, and my response is always: it is certainly possible, but you may simply be dealing with what we all are dealing with, which is shortened attention spans.

After years of practicing quickly changing attention from one app to another, or from your phone to the television, or one account to another as you scroll, your brain has become wired to shift attention very quickly. 

And the flip side of that is, naturally, that your brain has also become less capable of holding attention for a longer period of time.

Second: all of those pings release dopamine. And we weren’t meant to experience that much dopamine, that quickly, that often. 

Just a reminder, dopamine is a feel good hormone that our brains release. Dopamine is central to the reward system in the brain, producing a positive feeling that is motivating and makes you want to keep doing whatever it is that made you feel that way. 

The problem is, we were meant to feel those feelings less frequently.

We were meant to feel that dopamine release for example after a great workout, a great conversation, or a belly laugh with friends. Maybe after getting a job offer. 

In other words, we are meant to experience dopamine here and there throughout the day. Not constantly as our phone pings and we scroll.

And so the system is no longer functioning as it should. We don’t feel happiness and joy and pleasure as we are supposed to. Our brains think it is supposed to be constant, those dopamine hits, and when they subside, we more easily slip into feelings of sadness.

So yes, distraction can cause depression.

Knowing all this distraction isn’t healthy, what can we do about it? 

First- be encouraged by this truth.

We love hope around here, so we want to start with this one simple truth: there’s nowhere to go but up, and even the smallest effort will be rewarded!

Since we are so bad at focusing, and since we know God made our brains to be malleable (neuroplasticity!), it is wonderful to know that even the smallest bits of practicing focus will help us feel better! 

Second: let’s dive into some scripture and see what we can learn. 

Jesus Walks on the Water 

Matthew 14:22-33

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

What can we learn from Peter about distraction? 

When Jesus walked on water, Peter, in a moment of faith, asked to join Him. As long as Peter kept his eyes fixed on Jesus, he was able to walk on the water. 

However, when he became distracted by the wind and the waves around him, his fear took over, and he began to sink, crying out, “Lord, save me!”. 

When we feel distracted, especially by fear or anxiety or worry, we can be reminded that if we can keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, we can stay afloat- mentally and emotionally. 

The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:1-9 and 23

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

What can we learn from the parable of the sower? 

In this story, we can consider that  Jesus uses seeds to represent our focus and how we respond to God’s word.

Some of us hear God’s word but are distracted by the worries of life, including wanting to achieve more or do more or be more (especially when we are on social media comparing our lives to others’ highlight reels). 

When we are distracted by things we want and don’t have, or by challenges we face, the seed of God’s word is stifled and can’t grow in our hearts. 

But when we take the time to focus on the Word, to truly focus- what happens?

We nurture that seed. We nurture our faith. And we bear spiritual fruit.

It only takes a little bit to begin to flex that muscle and grow in your faith! 

Finally: let’s look at distraction from the perspective of ACT therapy.

Since the goal of ACT therapy is to become more grounded and centered even when faced with challenging thoughts, we can consider that distraction is something that we often use to avoid challenging thoughts. 

In other words, our phones and other distractions are a way to escape and run away from challenging thoughts and feelings. 

Why do we turn to our phones and other distractions?

• To try to get that dopamine hit from maybe a laugh or maybe getting fired up over some imagined (or real) injustice or maybe engaging in a little gossip. 
• To procrastinate from doing things we don’t want to do. 
• To procrastinate from doing things we don’t want to do. 

It isn’t difficult to recognize that escaping isn’t how we fix distraction. 

ACT therapy tools to become less distracted

To tap into Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a solution to our distracted state, we are going to look at three principles: acceptance, mindfulness, and values.

Acceptance:

As always, we want to remember that fighting challenging urges is often counterproductive. If you consistently beat yourself up over your attachment to your phone and other media, ACT suggests that the first step is to recognize that the urge is there. It exists, you are not alone, and you are most definitely not alone in the struggle. 

So we begin with acceptance. Accept that the urge is there. Release the struggle. Recognize it as a struggle, and know that you have the ability to change your habits, but it will take time and patience.

Mindfulness:

Now, from a state of accepting that media and our phones are a common distraction, choose to become aware of your relationship with your phone.

Perhaps you can even begin to appreciate how far technology has come. It wasn’t that long ago that they said “someday we’ll walk around with computers in our pockets,” and that day has come.

Mindfully set your intention: after you notice and accept that your phone and media are common distractions, consider setting your phone down. Take two or three deep breaths. In that pause, you have now made space to choose- how do you want to use your phone? What do you want to accomplish? How long should that take? 

And perhaps you’ll even discover you don’t want to get on your phone at all! 

Values:

Perhaps the most valuable component of ACT therapy is that it leads us to live according to our values. 

We defuse from difficult feelings and thoughts with acceptance, grounding, and mindfulness, but the final step is where we get to begin to grow into the people we want to be. 

So, when it comes to distraction and our phones, the final step we want to take is to begin to practice learning to use our phones in ways that align with our values. 

The truth is, our phones are actually really amazing resources!  We should use them! We just should use them with more wisdom and presence.

So, once you have grounded yourself with mindfulness, you can choose how you want to use your phone, and do so in such a way that you feel really great about it when you set it back down.

Enjoy intentional distraction

Are you going to get on social media to be entertained? If so, then let social media be entertainment! Watch your dog videos or your dance videos or your sports videos and enjoy them.

Call it intentional distraction, allow yourself to feel positive about it, and recognize how that aligns with your values. 

But stay mindful!

As we know, sometimes our social media and general media consumption can leave us feeling angry, judgmental, insecure, anxious, even depressed. 

So the goal can be to stay aware of those accounts, those comment sections, and those posts that cause challenging feelings, and remember our values and our goals. 

When it stops being entertaining, it’s time to scroll on past or set the phone down.

And one final but very important point: you may have to cycle through those steps over and over!

So if you find yourself distracted for longer than you intended, simply revisit acceptance, mindfulness, and your values.

To grow your attention span and your ability to mindfully use media and your phone according to your values, you’ll need to commit to practicing those steps over and over and over again.

But once again, let’s be reminded how great God is, and how He made our brains with the ability to change! 

So to summarize, our goals for this lesson:

Scripture to help us center on our values 

• Matthew 14:22-23
  • Peter staying focused on Jesus allowed him to do the seemingly impossible, and so there is no end to what you can accomplish when you do the same.
• Matthew 13:1-9 and 23
  • Allowing ourselves to be distracted by social media, our phones, and life’s stressors chokes out the word and it will not bear fruit in our hearts. Being attentive to and focusing on God’s word helps us to grow our spiritual fruit. 

ACT tools to help us grow our focus muscles

• Acceptance: remember that you are not alone in this struggle. Most of us struggle with our phones and distraction. Rather than being hard on yourself, accept that this is a part of our current reality
• Mindfulness: whenever you are feeling distracted or down the “phone rabbit hole,” bring yourself into the present moment. Consider setting down your phone and taking a couple deep breaths. 
• Values: once you have re-centered yourself, use that presence of mind to reconnect with your values. Remember what matters most to you and how you want to show up in the world. And then mindfully choose your next action.

And as always, know that if you are not yet a part of our Mercy Road outpost, or if you want to connect with one of our leaders just to share your story or for support, please feel free to email us here!