Do one task slowly with full attention

Almost every routine task is performed on autopilot while attention is elsewhere, which is why whole stretches of a day leave no memory at all. To do one task slowly with full attention is to run the same task at half speed with nothing else happening, and it is stranger and more absorbing than it sounds.

Why do one task slowly with full attention is worth an hour

This requires no separate practice time, which is why it survives where formal sitting practice often does not: the washing up has to happen regardless. Halving the speed is what creates room for attention, because at normal pace a familiar task genuinely does not require any. The mundanity is the point rather than a compromise.

How to do one task slowly with full attention step by step

1. 1

   Pick something ordinary and physical

   Washing up, folding laundry, making coffee, brushing your teeth. Routine and tactile works best.

2. 2

   Remove every other input

   No music, podcast, phone or conversation. Those are precisely what the autopilot runs underneath.

3. 3

   Halve your normal speed

   Deliberately slow. At full speed a familiar task requires no attention, which is the whole problem.

4. 4

   Attend to the physical detail

   Temperature, weight, texture, sound, the movement of your hands. Sensory specifics rather than general awareness.

5. 5

   Return when your mind wanders

   It will, constantly. Coming back to the task is the same repetition trained in any sitting practice.

Tips to get more out of it

• Choose a task you dislike. It frequently becomes less unpleasant when it is the only thing happening.
• Do it once a day rather than perfectly once. Regularity matters more than the quality of any single attempt.
• Notice the urge to speed up or multitask. That impulse arriving is itself informative.

Ways to mix it up

If a whole task is too long, do the first minute of it with full attention and continue normally afterwards. If you want to extend it, take one daily transition, such as walking to the kettle, and treat that as the practice instead.

Do one task slowly with full attention: frequently asked questions