Following on from the “useless exercises” in Training the Will, these are some additional exercises you can use for strengthening the will. These exercises are designed to enhance qualities such as concentration, discipline, and persistence. Perform the same task for seven consecutive days. At the end of the task, write down the sensations and the mental states you have experienced.
- Counting Backwards: Start from 300 and count backwards to 1, focusing intently on each number and not allowing any distractions.
- Alphabet Ordering: Write down the alphabet in reverse order multiple times, ensuring precise and neat handwriting.
- Breathing Synchronization: Breathe in for a count of four, hold for a count of four, and exhale for a count of four, repeating this cycle for five minutes.
- Color Identification: Choose a color and then identify and silently name objects of that color in the room for five minutes.
- Finger Tapping: Tap your fingers on a surface in a specific sequence (like playing a piano scale) for five minutes, maintaining a consistent rhythm.
- Balancing Object: Balance a book or a small cushion on your head while walking slowly around the room for five minutes.
- Precise Arrangement: Arrange a set of small objects (like coins or buttons) in a straight line, adjusting each to be perfectly aligned.
- Slow Reading: Read a page from a book out loud at half your normal speed, focusing on clarity and enunciation.
- Staring at a Point: Stare at a small mark or dot on a wall without blinking for as long as possible, aiming for at least five minutes.
- Shadow Following: Follow the shadow of an object (like a moving tree branch outside) with your eyes without moving your head, keeping focus for five minutes.
- Changing Walking Patterns: Walk in a specific, unusual pattern (like a zigzag or spiral) in a safe area for five minutes, focusing only on maintaining the pattern.
- Repeated Object Touching: Touch two unrelated objects in a room in succession (like a lamp and a book) repeatedly for five minutes, maintaining a steady rhythm.
- Staring at an Object: Choose a mundane object and stare at it continuously for five minutes, keeping your focus solely on the object without any thought analysis.
- Silent Counting: Count silently and slowly up to 500 or more, focusing on each number as an individual entity without speeding up the process.
- Opening and Closing a Door: Open and close a door in your house a set number of times (like 50 times), doing it deliberately and with full attention each time.
- Shifting Objects from Hand to Hand: Take a small object and pass it back and forth between your hands for five minutes, focusing solely on the sensation and movement.
- Repetitive Sound Vocalization: Make a simple, non-verbal sound (like a hum or a click) and repeat it continuously for five minutes, focusing on the consistency and rhythm.
- Drawing Straight Lines: Draw straight lines on a piece of paper, trying to make them as long and as straight as possible, without any goal of creating a picture.
- Assembling and Disassembling: Assemble and then disassemble a simple object (like a pen or a small toy), doing so slowly and with full attention to each step.
- Rearranging Small Items: Arrange small items like coins or pebbles in a line, then rearrange them in a different pattern, focusing on the act of arranging without any creative or practical purpose.
- Paper Folding: Fold a piece of paper in half, then unfold and refold it in a different way, repeating this process for five minutes.
- Shoe Lacing: Lace and unlace a shoe repeatedly, focusing on the process of lacing and unlacing methodically.
- Turning Pages: Open a book and turn each page one by one, then reverse the process, turning them back, focusing on the act of turning pages without reading.
- Repetitive Standing and Sitting: Stand up from a chair and then sit back down, repeating this action continuously for five minutes with full attention.
- Silent Alphabet Recitation: Silently recite the alphabet backwards, then forwards, focusing on each letter as you ‘say’ it in your mind.
- Object Rearrangement: Arrange several small objects in a straight line, then rearrange them into a circle, and then into another shape, focusing solely on the arrangement.
- Cap Twisting: Take a bottle with a screw cap, repeatedly screw the cap on and then off, focusing on the motion and sensation in your hands.
- Light Switch Flipping: Flip a light switch on and off for a set period, concentrating on the physical action and the sound each time.
- Pencil or Pen Rolling: Roll a pencil or pen back and forth across a table, using only one hand, focusing on controlling the movement smoothly.
- Repetitive Object Stacking: Stack small objects like coins or blocks, then unstack them, repeating this process while paying close attention to each movement.
You can easily create similar exercises. For further information, see Training the Will.
Engage in the Discussion: We invite you to reflect on your experiences of performing useless exercises. Do you have any other exercises you’ve developed? If you’re willing, share your thoughts and join the conversation below.