Focus on What Matters: How Shifting Your Attention Can Help You Heal

For a long time, my life revolved around my symptoms. Every decision I made was based on how I felt—should I go out today? Should I cancel plans? Will this make my symptoms worse? My mind was trapped in a cycle of hyperawareness, constantly scanning for any changes in my body, looking for reassurance, trying to control something that felt uncontrollable.

And yet, the harder I tried to fight my symptoms, the more power they had over me. It was exhausting.

The shift didn’t come from "getting rid" of my symptoms. It came when I stopped making them the focus of my life. Instead of constantly checking in, analysing, and fearing them, I carried them with me and chose to put my attention on the things that actually mattered—living. That’s when everything changed.

Why Focus Matters in Healing

Your brain pays attention to what you focus on. If you're always monitoring symptoms, it assumes they must be important—so it keeps sending signals to keep you hyper-aware. This is how the brain works to protect us, but in mind-body conditions, it backfires.

By constantly checking in on symptoms, we reinforce the message that they are a threat. And when the brain perceives a threat, it stays in a heightened state of alert—keeping symptoms alive.

But here’s the key: You don’t have to wait for symptoms to go away before you start living again.

When you shift your attention to things that bring you joy, purpose, and connection, you send a different message: "I am safe. I don’t need to be on high alert." This doesn’t mean you ignore symptoms. It means you change your relationship with them—seeing them, acknowledging them, but choosing not to make them the centre of your world.

How I Stopped Letting Symptoms Control My Life

At first, I thought I had to force myself to ignore my symptoms, to "push through" and pretend they weren’t there. But that didn’t work—it only made them louder. The real change happened when I allowed symptoms to be there but stopped making them my focus.

Here’s what that looked like in my daily life:

1. Going for a Walk (Even When I Felt Off-Balance)

Before, I would wait until I felt "good enough" to go outside. But I realised that waiting for symptoms to leave meant I was still making them the priority. So instead, I chose to walk with my symptoms.

Instead of thinking, What if I get dizzy? What if I feel weird? I focused on the world around me—the colours of the trees, the sound of birds, the feeling of my feet on the ground. My symptoms were still there, but they weren’t my main concern anymore. Over time, my brain learned that walking wasn’t a threat.

2. Engaging in Conversations (Even When I Felt Anxious)

There were days I didn’t want to socialise because I was hyper-aware of my symptoms. But I noticed that when I did see people and got caught up in conversation, my symptoms naturally faded into the background. Not because I forced them away, but because I wasn’t feeding them my full attention.

So I started doing this intentionally—spending time with people and reminding myself: It’s okay if symptoms are here. I don’t need to check in on them. I’m safe.

3. Doing Everyday Tasks (Without Constantly Checking In)

Mornings used to be the worst because my first thought was always, How do I feel today? I would scan my body before even getting out of bed, which immediately put me in a state of hyperawareness. Instead, I started setting a new intention: What do I want to focus on today?

Maybe it was making a good cup of tea. Maybe it was listening to a podcast I loved. Maybe it was getting some fresh air. By shifting my focus away from symptoms first thing in the morning, I noticed that they had less control over my day.

Why This Approach Works

1️⃣ It Reduces Fear and Hyperawareness When you stop treating symptoms as a problem, your brain stops assuming they’re a threat. Over time, this naturally lowers their intensity.

2️⃣ It Teaches Your Brain That You’re Safe By carrying symptoms with you instead of avoiding situations, you rewire your brain to stop sending danger signals.

3️⃣ It Allows Healing to Happen Naturally The more you focus on living—on moments that bring you joy, purpose, and peace—the more your brain learns that it no longer needs to keep you in high alert mode.

How You Can Start Shifting Your Focus

If you’re struggling to take your attention off your symptoms, start small:

✅ Acknowledge Symptoms Without Engaging Instead of fighting symptoms, simply notice them and remind yourself: These don’t need my attention. Then gently shift your focus elsewhere.

✅ Do Things That Bring You Joy—Even If Symptoms Are There You don’t have to feel perfect to live fully. Engage in life, and let your brain learn that you’re safe.

✅ Ask Yourself: What Truly Deserves My Energy? Your symptoms might be present, but they don’t have to be the centre of your world. Where else can you place your focus today?

✅ Reframe Each Day With a New Intention Instead of waking up and checking in on symptoms, ask: What do I want to experience today? What will bring me joy? Even something simple—like listening to music, talking to a friend, or stepping outside—can make a difference.

Healing Is About Living First, Not Waiting to Feel Better

I know how hard it is to let go of symptom focus, especially when you’ve been stuck in it for so long. But healing doesn’t happen by obsessively monitoring symptoms—it happens by living, even when symptoms are still present.

When you shift your focus to what truly matters, your brain takes notice. It learns that symptoms no longer need to be prioritised, and slowly, they start fading into the background.

You don’t have to wait for symptoms to disappear to start living your life again. In fact, starting to live now is what helps them disappear.

Need help retraining your brain and shifting your focus? I offer 1:1 coaching to help you break free from the cycle of fear and hyperawareness. Book a free consultation today!

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What’s one thing you can focus on today that brings you joy? Let me know in the comments!