Lately, I’ve been struggling to focus.

Lately, I’ve been struggling to focus.

My attention feels scattered, like a ball in a pinball machine.

Anyone else?

After chatting with a few friends (who all said “same”), someone recommended a podcast episode that I found genuinely helpful:

​Why You Can’t Pay Attention — And How to Get It Back​
with ​Dr. Amishi Jha​, on We Can Do Hard Things
(link in comments 🔗)

Some of Dr. Jha's insights that I loved:
>> The three types of attentional systems and how they show up in daily life
>> Why attention is a limited resource, not a character flaw
>> Why multitasking is a myth (knew this, needed the reminder 😉)

All of her advice was helpful for me, including her recommendations on how to start incorporating a simple mindfulness practice into your life, one minute at a time.

But...

One section of the conversation gave me pause.

Toward the end, when Dr. Jha was talking through a few simple breath mindfulness exercises, ​Abby Wambach​ asked a thoughtful question:

“I'm more of an active person.... are there any other ways..."

Dr. Jha’s response, kind and confident:

“First of all I want to say this, you can do very hard things. Isn't that the name of this podcast?” (everyone laughs)

She went on to say, essentially: just keep trying... or try harder.

And I get it, just because it's hard doesn't mean it's not for you.

And yet… what if stillness isn’t just hard - what if it’s too hard?
What if the ask isn’t just uncomfortable, but inaccessible?

Because here’s the truth: everyone’s brain is different. And for some, “just sit still and breathe” isn’t mindfulness, it’s a fast track to overwhelm, or frustration, or even shame.

I found myself wishing Dr. Jha and Abby knew about ​Tanya Roberts​ and her brilliant work at ​Mindfulness Done Differently​, a community she's designed for neurodivergent folks to access mindfulness through movement, fidgeting, art, sound, and sensory play.

Tanya's created a space for people to practice mindfulness - not in spite of how their brains work, but by embracing exactly how their brains work.

It’s a beautiful example of designing for inclusion without flattening complexity.

So I'll ask you, community:
Do any of you have connections to Dr. Jha or Abby?
Because I know Tanya. And I’d love to help them connect. 🤩

P.S. Also going to try sending a cold email to Abby Wambach to see what happens. 😉