Welcome to The Mind Shift Moment with Dr. Veronica Griffin, from Protect Each One Consulting, LLC. I am Dr. Veronica Griffin. This is a moment to pause, reflect, and choose a thoughtful next step. Our discussion is educational and offers general reflection rather than individualized treatment. You can participate at your own pace, skip any prompt, or simply listen. If you are driving or doing something that needs your attention, save the exercise for later. The people in our examples are fictional. Take what is useful and leave room for your own circumstances.
You pick up your phone for one message and find yourself reading news, checking another app, and answering a question that could have waited. Today we are looking at attention as something you can make decisions about. The goal is a workable relationship with information and availability. Your job, family, and accessibility needs will shape what is possible.
Start by identifying the type of input that leaves you feeling most crowded. Is it frequent notifications, work messages after hours, upsetting news, or comparison with other people's lives? Be specific. Different inputs call for different choices. You may need a notification change, an agreement about response times, a reliable news source, or a different place to spend a break. One broad instruction to use your phone less may miss the actual problem.
Imagine a fictional person, Cameron, who checks distressing stories before bed because staying informed feels important. Cameron decides to choose one reliable source and a daytime check-in instead. The choice preserves access to information while changing when and how it arrives. Cameron also tells a friend that nonurgent messages may be answered the next morning. The boundary works better when the people involved understand what to expect.
For your exercise, make an input map with three headings: necessary, chosen, and automatic. Under necessary, include communication required for your role or safety. Under chosen, include content you value. Under automatic, list habits you notice without intending them. Choose one automatic input to adjust for a short trial. Keep the change small: silence one nonessential notification, move an app, or decide when you will check one category of information.
[Reflection pause: 30 seconds.]
Consider what you want the freed attention for. Perhaps a meal, a conversation, a quiet activity, or simply fewer interruptions. Give that choice a place. If you remove an app and leave no alternative, the old habit may be the easiest option again. You can prepare something accessible and ordinary rather than designing an ambitious replacement routine. The experiment should reduce friction in your day, not add a new standard you must meet.
If you encounter graphic or distressing content, you can choose to stop, mute, or use content controls. NIMH's guidance after traumatic events includes limiting exposure to distressing coverage. You do not need to repeatedly view an event to care about the people affected. If your work requires reviewing difficult material, discuss the approved process, exposure, breaks, and support with the appropriate person. Work conditions need a work response as well as personal choices. Sources & context ↓
This week, try one attention boundary and review its effect. Did it reduce interruptions? Did it interfere with a necessary responsibility? What would make the agreement clearer? You can revise the plan. The invitation is to make one part of your information environment more intentional. Let your attention have somewhere to rest and somewhere meaningful to go, while preserving the connections and tools you need.
Here is your journal question: Which input is automatic, and what would I like to choose instead? You can write a sentence, make a brief list, or consider it quietly. You do not have to share what you write. If the reflection feels unhelpful, stop and choose an ordinary activity instead. We will leave a little space here.
[Reflection pause: 30 seconds.]
Your practical step for this week is: Adjust one nonessential notification or viewing habit and review the effect after a week.
Before we close, choose what you want to carry into the next few days. Make the step small enough to use and clear enough to recognize. You can return to the question later, adapt the exercise, or discuss it with someone you trust. If this concern is persistent, worsening, or affecting daily life, a qualified professional can help you consider support that fits your situation. Thank you for making room for this conversation.
This has been a MindShift moment with Dr. Veronica Griffin. I am a Clinical Social Work Researcher, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with Protect Each One Consulting, LLC. My work connects research with trauma-informed practice to support healing, resilience, and personal growth. Thank you for taking this moment to pause, reflect, and care for yourself. Healing begins in a safe space—Protect Each One.