What You Practice, Your Brain Prioritizes
- Misty Getrich
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 19 hours ago
Where Is Your Attention focused Right Now?
Is it on the traffic in the image, the trees, or perhaps the sign leading to the coast?
What we choose to focus on plays a significant role in our wellness as we navigate life.
Stuck in Traffic…and Then I Noticed the Birds
The other day, I was sitting in traffic — completely stopped — and it felt like we weren’t moving at all.
I could feel the frustration building.
My mind was doing what minds do: “Why is this taking so long? I don’t have time for this…”
My body followed — tight shoulders, shallow breath, that restless, stuck feeling.
I decided to roll down my window — just to get some fresh air, let the sun in, and break up the tension a bit.
And then I heard it.
Birds chirping.
It caught my attention in a way I didn’t expect.
Because in that exact same moment — the one I had labeled as frustrating and inconvenient — there was also something calm, peaceful, and even a little beautiful.
And it made me think:
How often do we stay locked onto what isn’t going right…when there is something else, right here, inviting a different experience?
Nothing about the traffic shifted.
But something in me did.
And that moment sparked this reminder:
Where we place our attention shapes how we experience our lives.
Your Brain Is Wired — But Also Trainable
Our brains are designed to scan for problems (this is called the negativity bias). It helps keep us safe — but it can also narrow what we notice.
There’s also a system in the brain called the Reticular Activating System (RAS).
Think of it as a filter — deciding what stands out and what fades into the background.
Here’s the key:
Your brain strengthens what you repeatedly focus on.
So if our attention stays fixed on frustration, our brain gets better at finding more of it.
But if we gently begin to notice moments of neutrality, calm, or even awe — our brain starts to recognize those more easily too.
We’re not just experiencing our lives — we’re training our brain how to see them.
So in that moment, I had a choice (even if it was a small one):
Stay locked in frustration…or gently widen my awareness to include something else that was also true in that moment.
Not to ignore the stress — but to not let it be the only thing.
A Simple Practice I Came Back To: A.W.E.
Right there in the car, I practiced a modified version of the A.W.E Method, a three-step, 5–15 second mindfulness practice designed to cultivate awe and improve well-being.
Attention: Turn your full and undivided attention on things you appreciate, value, or find amazing.
Wait: Slow down and pause.
Exhale and Expand: Amplify whatever sensations you are experiencing.
You can do this with anything.
I applied and amplified this technique in this way:
A — Attention
I asked myself, “What am I focusing on right now?”
Naming it helped create a little space and brought awareness.
I noticed what was happening inside of me.
“I’m feeling frustrated. My shoulders are tight.”
Where else can I place my attention?
W — Wait
I paused, allowed what I was feeling, and got curious with the experience rather than resist it.
I asked myself, “Is this focus helping me or hurting me at this moment?”
No judgment — just information.
I acknowledged that “This isn’t how I wanted things to go… but I can be here with it.”
Instead of fighting the moment, I softened toward it.
That is when I heard the birds. A moment of awe.
E — Exhale and Expand
I took a slow breath. I relaxed my shoulders. I listened to the birds again. Felt the air. I noticed the sunlight.
I asked myself, “What else is here, right now, that is neutral or even slightly pleasant?”
A sound, a sensation, a breath, a small moment of stillness.
And reminded myself: “There’s more here than just the frustration.”
This is where we begin to work with the Reticular Activating System — gently training it to widen what it notices.
What This Looks Like in Real Life
Stuck in traffic:
Attention: “I’m getting irritated.”
Wait: “This is frustrating, and I can sit with it.”
Exhale and Expand: Notice sounds, the sky, your breath.
Difficult conversation:
Attention: “My chest feels tight.”
Wait: “I’m uncomfortable, and I’m staying present.”
Exhale and Expand: Feel your feet on the ground, slow your breathing.
Stressful day:
Attention: “I feel overwhelmed.”
Wait: “This is a lot, and I don’t have to fight it.”
Exhale and Expand: Take a pause, look around, come back to one small next step.
Why This Works
A.W.E. helps shift your nervous system from reactivity to regulation.
Attention and awareness calms the brain by naming the experience
Waiting and pausing reduces resistance (which lowers stress intensity)
Expansion signals safety, creates space, and retrains your Reticular Activating System
Over time, this practice builds a new pattern: not ignoring stress — but not being consumed by it.
Why This Matters
The traffic didn’t change.
But my experience of it did.
I didn’t change the situation.
I changed my relationship to it.
And that changes everything.
I felt more grounded. Less frustrated and reactive. More present in the moment.
And those small shifts matter — because gradually, they create a new way of moving through hard moments.
Not by avoiding discomfort — but by not getting stuck inside it.
A Micro-Practice for This Month
Once a day, pause and ask:
“What am I training my brain to notice right now?”
Then gently expand your awareness — just a little.
Find your moments of awe.
The next time you feel stuck or frustrated, pause and ask:
“What else is here right now that I’m not noticing?”
Then take one breath… and notice.
Attention, Wait, Exhale and Expand
Closing Reflection
That moment reminded me:
Life isn’t always going to go the way we want.
There will be delays, frustrations, and moments that feel stuck.
We may not have control of what’s happening around us.
But within those same moments, there may also be something else — something simple, something quietly grounding, something of awe.
Sometimes it starts with rolling down the window…and hearing the birds.
And remembering we can shift, even when the situation doesn’t.
We can shape what our brain learns to see.
And each small moment of awareness,
Each time we soften instead of resist,
Each time we expand our focus,
We are building a steadier, more resilient way of moving through life.
One moment at a time.
If you would like to have a more in depth understanding of the A.W.E Method, I shared a blog on the topic here:
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