It’s no secret that our attention is fractured. We look for distraction anytime we have a spare moment or feel bored or uncomfortable. We yearn to be fully immersed in the moment―whether for deep work or pleasure―but we have almost forgotten how. In The Practice of Attention, beloved artist and teacher Cody Cook-Parrott offers a vulnerable exploration of how they overcame social media and technology addiction, sharing their “road map for reclaiming the most precious of resources: our time.”
For Cody, digital distractions shared parallels with alcohol and other addictions—trying to escape painful parts of life through dopamine hits and other highs. Social media use enabled workaholism and distraction from real life and tough choices. After working through the practices in this book, Cody permanently deleted their Instagram account, which had over 80,000 followers, so they are now “free of the comparison, the doom scrolling, and the constant back and forth.” But you don’t have to delete social media to benefit from the suggestions in this book! With a focus on the art of presence rather than the science of productivity, Cody encourages you to:
• Investigate what you’re avoiding and who benefits when you distract yourself
• Conduct an Attention Audit to understand where you place your focus (and lose it) throughout the day and the week
• Implement a Digital Detox in ways that feel nourishing and meaningful
• Cultivate daily rituals rather than routines
• Nurture practices that bring fun, play, and spaciousness into your life, including hobbies, movement, creativity, research, and being of service
• Foster curiosity and devotion, and letting go of perfectionism and people-pleasing
Shifting our attention has profound power on how we experience ourselves and those around us. Cody writes, “This is my wish: that you feel less pull toward your screen and more pull toward your life.”
Listen to an audio excerpt The Practice of Attention. This program is read by the author.
Cody Cook-Parrott is a writer, artist, and movement practitioner who builds simple structures that help artists make work. They write a weekly newsletter, host the podcast Common Shapes, and teach classes on quilting, writing, and creative business. They are also the author of How to Not Always be Working and Getting to Center. Their work has been featured in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Dance Magazine, and The Huffington Post.
Photo Credit: Anna Friss
