# Shorten Mind Wandering

{% embed url="<https://youtu.be/K7JuCpQdcpE>" %}

## Practice Visual

<img src="/files/0ewHDzl0mvH9UtSFmpaE" alt="" class="gitbook-drawing">

## Overview

<table><thead><tr><th width="146"></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>What</strong></td><td>Reducing the duration the mind forgets the present moment by enjoying remembering/returning from forgetting</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Benefits</strong></td><td><p></p><ul><li>Decrease time of mind-wandering</li><li>Replacing self-harshness with Joy when remembering</li><li>Learning to appreciate and enjoy the presence</li><li>Learning about the autonomous behavior of mind</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Instructions</strong></td><td><ol><li>Practicing</li><li>Mind autonomously forgets the present moment</li><li>Mind autonomously remembers the present moment</li><li><p>Reward the mind for remembering </p><ol><li>Gratitude to the mind for remembering</li><li>Enjoy how nice it feels to be present again</li></ol></li><li>Repeat</li></ol></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Daily Life</strong></td><td><ul><li>Every time the mind remembers the present moment, gently softening any non-softness build up during mind wandering and smiling into how nice it feels to be mindful again :)</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Consider</strong></td><td><p><strong>Rewarding the mind for remembering decreases mind wandering</strong></p><ul><li>Parts of the mind will understand the benefit of remembering and want to do it more often</li><li>Rewards e.g., Gratitude, Smile, Enjoying Presence</li><li>It will mostly influence the duration of mind wandering not the frequency of it</li></ul><p></p><p><strong>Punishing the mind for remembering increases mind wandering</strong></p><ul><li>Parts of the mind will understand the disadvantage of remembering </li><li>Mind becomes more restless which causes more mind wandering as forgetting and punishing are based on <a href="/pages/DqxwLBz5Vp5IIweiMBxr">non-equanimity</a></li></ul><p></p><p><strong>Forgetting &#x26; Remember as a great Opportunity</strong> </p><ul><li><p>Teaching the mind the benefit of remembering</p><ul><li>Taking your time savoring how good it is and feels to remember the present moment, before returning to your primary practice</li></ul></li><li><p>Learning about the Autonomous Nature of your mind</p><ul><li>Your mind forgets autonomously</li><li>Your mind remembers autonomously</li><li>It is not you who forgets or remembers, all just happening by it self</li><li>This is liberating <a href="/pages/eOcdQfFDOu17hUi4dfnu">insight</a></li></ul></li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Progress</strong></td><td><ul><li>Enjoying remembering while weakening any resistance such as self-harshness </li><li>Time of mind wandering reduces significantly to ~10-60 seconds</li><li>Taking advantage of the opportunity of remembering while accepting that forgetting will return - both autonomously</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Acknowledgement</strong></td><td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25942786-the-mind-illuminated">The Mind Illuminated</a></td></tr></tbody></table>


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://www.luisburgis.org/practice-guides/skills/attention/shorten-mind-wandering.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.