I recently went to a gig, an ELO tribute band who were excellent by the way and it got me thinking.
Why do we go to gigs?
Because we love the bands?
Because we love the music?
Because there is nothing more thrilling than hearing your favourite songs played live in front of you in the company of others who appreciate the music just as much as you do?
I would have said yes to all of those.
Granted this was a tribute band and my other half informs me that people behave differently when a tribute band is playing but nothing prepared me for what I encountered.
People were talking loudly during the performance. Bearing in mind that we were not in a pub or club but an actual, good old fashioned theater. The music wasn't just background noise, it was the main event.
Some people were shouting and gesticulating which was very distracting to those around them. Then one of the staff members tried to tell them off which also turned into a shouting match because she couldn't make herself heard.
And what seemed like every 60 seconds, someone had to get up to go to the toilet.
The people in front of me were busy trying to badly film the band on their phones and someone further up the front was checking their likes on Facebook!
With all this distraction going on around me, I found it very difficult to stay in the moment.
Frankly, I started feeling a bit anxious.
And it got me thinking, how often do we actually stay in the moment?
Modern life is peppered with things to distract us. Our phones, TV, social media, adverts, the list is endless.
If you go anywhere, you see people glued to their phone or ipad screens. We get bombarded with notifications all day every day. Information overload, anyone?
Our attention is constantly demanded and constantly divided. Is it any wonder that most people struggle to sit and simply listen to a two hour concert?!
I wonder if all this distraction though contributes on some level to our stress and anxiety?
When do we ever get a break? When do we ever fully switch off? Does anyone actually turn their phone off nowadays?
Maybe it is time to reconsider our relationship with our devices. Useful though they are, they also have a tendency to take over if we are not careful. Maybe we need to re-evaluate our boundaries. For example, you could limit the time you spend on social media or turn off app notifications at night time.
Try to create some space in your life to simply be, without needing to do anything.
A space to switch off and let your brain rest.
Mindfulness is useful to help us stay in the moment. It teaches us to stay focused on what is happening right here, right now.
How are you feeling right now?
Where do you hold tension in your body in this moment?
What is your breath doing?
What can you hear?
Smell?
It gives our brain a break from thinking, striving, ruminating.
I used mindfulness during that particular gig. During the break, I took a few deep breaths and let go off some of the tension I was holding.
And during the second half I managed to mostly focus on the songs and the music (which I really enjoyed) rather than on the behaviour of those around me.
And my phone stayed firmly in my handbag!
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