The Science Behind Noticing: A Simple Mindfulness Practice for Better Decisions
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noticing new things is good for your brain (c) Shamash Alidina
Imagine this: It’s Monday morning, your inbox is overflowing, deadlines are looming, and your phone buzzes with constant notifications. On top of it all, an important decision needs your attention—but your mind feels like a tangled web of stress and indecision. Sound familiar?
For busy professionals, the constant demand to stay sharp, make quick decisions, and juggle multiple priorities can take its toll. Stress clouds your judgment, slows down your thinking, and leaves you feeling out of control.
But what if there was a way to cut through the mental clutter and find clarity, calm, and control—right in the middle of your busy day? That’s where mindfulness comes in. Specifically, the art of noticing new things. Backed by science and easy to practise, this simple technique can help you reduce stress, make better decisions, and transform the way you work and live.
In this post, we’ll explore the science behind mindful noticing, show you how to incorporate it into your daily routine, and share real-life examples of how it’s helping professionals like you thrive.
The Science Behind Noticing
Stress narrows your focus. It puts your brain in survival mode. This makes it harder to see solutions or think clearly.
Mindfulness flips the switch. It shifts your brain from fight-or-flight to calm-and-alert. One powerful way to do this is through noticing new things.
Dr Ellen Langer, a Harvard psychologist, has spent decades studying this. She calls it “actively noticing.” When you notice something new, your mind naturally becomes present. It anchors you in the here and now. And that mindfulness reduces stress.
The results are clear. Studies show that noticing can lower stress, boost creativity, and improve decision-making. It’s not just about calming down—it’s about waking up. By paying attention to details, you expand your awareness. This opens up options and helps you make better choices.
Best of all? It’s simple. You don’t need extra time or special skills. You just need to start looking at the world with fresh eyes.
Step-by-Step: How to Practice Noticing
mindfulness at its heart is simply about noticing new things (c) Shamash Alidina
Noticing is simple, but it’s not always easy. It’s about breaking out of autopilot and engaging with the world around you. Here’s how to start:
Pause and Observe
Wherever you are, stop for a moment. Look around. What do you see, hear, or feel?
2. Find Something New
Pick one thing to notice that you haven’t paid attention to before. It could be the texture of your desk, the colour of a colleague’s shirt, or the way light falls on a wall. Focus on it.
3. Reflect on What You Noticed
Ask yourself: Why haven’t I noticed this before? How does this change the way I see my environment? A small shift in attention can spark a big shift in perspective.
4. Use Stressful Moments
The next time you feel overwhelmed, practise noticing. Before you send an email, pause and notice your breathing. Before a big meeting, notice three small details about the room. This anchors you in the present and calms your nervous system.
5. Make it a Daily Habit
Aim to notice one new thing each day. It doesn’t have to be profound. The goal is to build a habit of curiosity.
With regular practice, noticing becomes second nature. You’ll find that stress feels less overwhelming. Decisions become easier. And life feels just a little more spacious.
Real-Life Example
noticing what’s new about others is essential in relationships (c) Shamash Alidina
Meet Sarah, a senior manager at a busy tech company. Her days were packed with meetings, tight deadlines, and constant pressure to make quick decisions. Stress was her norm, and she often felt paralysed when faced with tough choices.
Then she tried the simple practice of noticing. Before her first meeting each day, she paused to notice three new things in her office. One day, it was the way sunlight hit her desk. Another, it was the hum of her laptop. The colour of the sky. Small things, but they shifted her focus.
She began applying this during stressful moments. Before big presentations, she noticed the details of her breath—its rhythm and depth. And then perhaps take a slow breath in and out. During heated discussions, she tried observing the tone of voices or the expressions of her colleagues rather than just being caught in the emotion of it all. Noticing pulled her out of reactive thinking and gave her space to respond more thoughtfully.
Within weeks, Sarah was amazed at the difference. She described feeling calmer, more grounded, and in control. She even started making decisions more efficiently because her mind was clearer. “Noticing has been a game-changer,” she said. “It’s like I’ve found a pause button for my stress.”
Benefits of Noticing for Professionals
noticing new things is simple, easy, fun and more powerful than you can imagine (c) Shamash Alidina
The practice of noticing might seem small, but its impact can be profound. For busy professionals, it offers four key benefits:
Clarity
Noticing clears mental clutter. It shifts your focus away from stress and toward the present. This gives you a fresh perspective to make better decisions.
2. Calm
When you notice, you step out of autopilot. This activates your parasympathetic nervous system—the “rest and digest” mode—which naturally reduces stress.
3. Faster Decision-Making
With less mental noise, decisions come more easily. Noticing helps you stay grounded, so you can assess situations clearly and act confidently.
4. Control
Noticing helps you regain a sense of agency. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by external demands, you feel more in charge of your time and energy.
These benefits don’t just improve how you work—they improve how you live. When you regularly practise noticing, you’ll find more ease in your day and more space in your mind.
Call to Action
Ready to feel calmer, clearer, and more in control? Start small. Take one minute today to practise noticing. Look around your environment and find three things you haven’t paid attention to before. Reflect on how this shifts your mood or focus.
If you’re looking to take mindfulness to the next level, I’m here to help. As a mindfulness coach, I specialise in guiding busy professionals to reduce stress, improve decision-making, and create a sense of balance in their lives. Together, we’ll build simple yet powerful habits like noticing that fit seamlessly into your day.
Book a free consultation now to see how mindfulness coaching can work for you. Or try my free 30-day mindfulness challenge to experience the benefits firsthand.
Click here to get started on coaching.
