The Art of Noticing: Get Comfortable With Doing Less And Noticing More

“Do less? I’m behind as it is, and I can’t afford to slow down for… so many reasons.” I get it. Slowing down can feel incredibly uncomfortable. 

I’ve had clients tell me they’ve tried sitting outside for five minutes, but they spend the whole time mentally writing emails, replaying yesterday's conversation, or organizing tomorrow's schedule. Their bodies are on the patio, but their attention is somewhere else entirely. It's what capable minds have learned to do. There’s no room for the art of noticing.

When did we lose this precious skill of noticing?  As children, noticing was our superpower. We constantly wondered and asked, “Why?” We were new to the world, and we had so much to learn. And people tried their best to explain its wonders. However, they couldn’t fully help us understand our inner world — why we do the things we do and feel the way we feel. As a result, we didn’t develop the capacity for noticing our body’s wisdom.

That’s one of the reasons I love summer, and especially, paddleboarding on the lake. It gives me more opportunities to activate my art of noticing.

The water looks like glass until the first paddle stroke sends ripples across the surface. Red-winged blackbirds call from the reeds along the shoreline, and dragonflies seem to appear out of nowhere, skimming over the water. It takes a few moments for the sounds to sink in. Birds chattering, my paddle dipping into the lake, and the occasional fish breaking the surface. In the moment of noticing, I take a deep breath, and my shoulders relax and drop. And I feel at peace. 

Where You Place Your Attention Shapes The Quality of Your Life

We often think of attention as something we give to other people or to the work in front of us. But attention is also how we build relationship with ourselves.

The women I work with are remarkably observant. They notice when a colleague is struggling. They anticipate what their family needs before anyone asks. They catch mistakes others miss. Their ability to pay attention is one of the reasons they've become successful.

But noticing their inner world, i.e., the signals that their body and nervous system are sending … not so much.

• When was the last time you noticed your shoulders tightening before you agreed to one more commitment?
• Or the moment your breathing became shallow during a difficult conversation?
• Or the quiet sense of relief that washed over you when you stepped outside for a few minutes?

These moments pass quickly. If we're moving too fast, we miss them. Yet this is where our bodies quietly offer valuable information. Activating your art of noticing lets you gather the kind of information that helps you make wiser decisions.

• You begin recognizing the difference between pressure and purpose.
• Between exhaustion and healthy challenge.
• Between saying yes because it feels aligned and saying yes because you've always been the dependable one.

The art of noticing lets you get in front of emotional overload. You notice tension before it becomes pain. Fatigue before it becomes burnout. Joy before the moment has already passed.

Seemingly ordinary experiences become signals of safety, connection, and restoration when we actually allow ourselves to experience them. 

Activate The Art of Noticing By The Practice of Orienting

One of the simplest somatic practices is called orienting.

Rather than immediately focusing on tasks or problems, allow your eyes and your attention to gently explore the space around you. Notice the colors. The light coming through the window. The movement of leaves. The texture of clouds. The sound of birds in the distance.

Without trying to change anything, your nervous system begins recognizing that there is more present than urgency.

Orienting gently shifts your body from constant vigilance toward curiosity and connection. Curiosity is one of the nervous system's quiet pathways back to regulation. We knew how to do this as children, and we can relearn the art of noticing through a daily practice of orienting.

Summer Gently Invites Us To Notice

When we're always scanning for what's next, we often miss the quiet moments that help our nervous system settle. The first sip of coffee before the day begins. The smell of tomatoes growing and bees buzzing in the garden. The scent of pine carried on a breeze. The rhythm of waves against a dock. The cool cotton sheets at the end of a long day. 

These moments remind our bodies that life isn't made up only of problems to solve. Over time, those small moments compound. They give your nervous system a greater capacity for resilience and recovery.

• You interrupt stress cycles earlier.
• You recover faster after difficult meetings.
• You become more patient with your children or partner.
• You make decisions from steadiness instead of urgency.
• You recognize your limits before your body forces you to stop.
• You experience more delight in the ordinary.
• You become harder to knock off center because you're more connected to yourself.

Summer offers us countless chances to practice this way of paying attention. Why not begin noticing today? The evening light won't linger forever.

 “Dream Big, Start Small.” Here's the one thing you can do today.

Summer is the perfect time for a Sensory Reset. Set aside five minutes and step outside, leaving your phone behind. Stand or sit comfortably and allow your body to settle. 

Without trying to change anything, slowly notice:

• Five things you can see.

• Four things you can hear.

• Three things you can feel against your skin.

• Two things you can smell.

• One thing you can taste or imagine tasting.

As you notice each sensation, allow yourself to linger for a few breaths before moving to the next.

When you're finished, place one hand on your heart and one on your abdomen. Ask yourself: "What feels different in my body now than it did five minutes ago?"

The life you're working so hard to build isn't waiting somewhere in the future, after the next promotion, project, or milestone. It's unfolding in ordinary moments that ask only one thing of you: to be present enough to notice them. Summer gives us a wonderful place to begin. 

Your evolution has always been guided by an inner wisdom that knows when to shift, release, and rise. Would you like more guidance? Contact me and ask how my EMERGE method can make your connection with self and others stronger.

Journaling Prompts

Where does my attention naturally go when I have a quiet moment?

What ordinary moment have I rushed past this week that deserved a little more of my attention?

If I treated noticing as a practice instead of a luxury, what might begin to change?