15th July 2025

Why You Can’t Focus Anymore And How the Trail Can Help

I didn’t learn presence in a meditation class. Or on a yoga mat. Or sitting cross-legged trying to visualise a beach.

I learned it trying not to stack it running downhill on gravel.

It was somewhere on the Bibbulmun Track, legs like jelly, eyes scanning every rock, heart thumping in my ears. My whole body was dialled in. I wasn’t worrying about emails. I wasn’t wondering what was for dinner. I wasn’t thinking at all, really.

I was here. In my body.  Slightly terrified. But here.

And that, without me knowing it at the time, was a real taste of presence.

So what is presence, really?

It’s one of those words that gets thrown around a lot these days. Be present. Stay in the moment. Ground yourself.

But for me, presence isn’t about perfection or being zen all the time. I’m not that kind of girl. I’m easily distracted by beautiful things. I laugh loud, and have a brain that doesn’t always want to slow down.

Presence, to me, is about connecting back to yourself, even just for a second.

It’s that quiet exhale when you stop doom-scrolling.
It’s remembering how your coffee smells.
It’s noticing the kookaburras laughing or the regular crunch of gravel under foot.

Why presence matters to me

This isn’t just a personal lesson for me — it’s a quiet thread that ties everything together at The Hike Collective.

You might not see it on our booking pages, but if you’ve walked with us, you’ve probably felt it. That moment halfway through a trail when you suddenly exhale without even realising.  Everything we build is designed to help you feel more like you. And for me, that always starts with presence.

Why it’s getting harder to feel present

So if presence is so good for us, why does it feel so hard to access?

Because the world is loud. And it’s rewiring our brains.

 Science Spotlight: Your Brain vs. Modern Life

Let’s break it down:

• Digital distractions are wrecking our focus.
  According to researchers at UC Irvine, after a single digital interruption, it can take up to 23 minutes to regain focus. And we’re getting interrupted every few minutes. That’s not rest — that’s a nervous system under siege.

• Our attention span is shrinking.
  A 2022 Microsoft study showed that the average human attention span has dropped to just 8 seconds — down from 12 in the year 2000.

• Soft fascination — nature’s secret superpower — is under threat.
  Stephen and Rachel Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory suggests that nature offers a unique kind of attention: effortless, calming, and healing. Watching leaves move. Listening to birds. Feeling the wind. It’s called soft fascination. But most of us are so overstimulated we don’t even notice it anymore.

• Urban noise is draining us.
  The World Health Organisation classifies noise pollution as a public health risk. Constant noise doesn’t just annoy us, it increases stress hormones, reduces memory and focus, and keeps us in “fight or flight.”

The result?
We’re constantly pinged, pulled, and performing — and our brains don’t know how to land anymore.

How nature rebuilds presence

When we hike, especially without headphones or a phone in hand, something beautiful happens.

Our sensory systems recalibrate.

We hear birdsong.
We see colours that aren’t backlit.
We feel the air shift.
We stop performing, and just are.

This isn’t woo-woo. It’s neuroscience. Nature literally rewires your brain for regulation, clarity, and calm.

Walking in nature reduces cortisol, increases serotonin, and activates the default mode network of the brain — the part responsible for self-reflection and empathy. (Aka the part that goes offline when you’re doom-scrolling or overworking.)

How to try it yourself: Practice presence on the trail

You don’t need a retreat. You don’t need fancy gear. You just need to start noticing.

Kate’s Trail Practice for Presence

Next time you’re on a walk — even just to the shops — try this:

1. Leave your phone in your pocket. (Or even at home.)

2. Focus on your feet. Feel them strike the ground.

3. Name three sounds. Birds, breeze, a passing car.

4. Name three sights. Colours, textures, light.

5. Breathe — and notice. Not to change anything. Just to feel.

Presence isn’t about having no thoughts. It’s about having one thought. And letting it land.

Why it matters

Because this moment?
It’s the only one that’s real.
And when you’re in it, you’re not missing life — you’re living it.

 Want more trail practices like this?

The Hike Collective’s work is expanding into something deeper — a journey back to your inner wild. I’ll be sharing more soon, but for now, just know that our hikes aren’t just about the distance covered.

They’re about presence.
And sometimes, that’s the most powerful place to begin.