My head is full of chatter. Always. It goes at lightning speed in a million different directions All. The. Time. Sound familiar? Have you ever driven somewhere and, when you arrive, you wonder how you got there? Have you ever “zoned out” when having a conversation and then realized you haven’t heard a word that’s been said for… hmm… how long has it been? Have you ever read something, gotten to the end of the paragraph, and realized that you have no idea what you just read? Well then, you have had moments when you are Mind. Full.
What, then, does it mean to be mindful? Really, it just means that you are living in the moment, observing your surroundings, being present in the here and now. No judgement, no critical analysis. Just… being. I think of my beloved little dog, who loves to eat. And play. And snuggle. She does these all with abandon. If she is eating, she is 1000% devoted to eating. She just wags her tail and enjoys every morsel. She doesn’t care if it’s too mushy, too cold, too bland, too spicy- she just eats. She isn’t worried about that pesky cat that keeps poking around in the yard, or that Amazon delivery guy who seems to always come to the house, or whether Brother will be playing with her later on tonight. It is ALL about the food. Until it’s done. Then it is 1000% about her latest favorite toy. NOTHING is as important as getting someone to tug that toy and throw it, and tug, and throw… and if we are all busy, well, no judgement about your priorities, but it’s TIME TO PLAY! Until the Amazon guy shows up. Then it is 1000% time to defend the house! Until he leaves. Then it is 1000% about snuggling with Mommy. All that matters is a comfy position where the belly is easily accessed for maximum rubs.
We can learn a lot from my tiny girl. My stress ridden, anxiety prone self is in awe of the great ability to let things go, to not dwell on the past, to not think about the problems that may arise in the future, to not have multiple ongoing checklists of things to do, to not read into what is transpiring, to not judge. So why is mindfulness important? There is a plethora of empirical research out there that have shown benefits. Mindfulness can reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. It can boost working memory, focus, and cognitive flexibility. It can improve sleep and immune function. There are lots of other benefits, too; suffice it to say, mindfulness is super helpful.
So how do you start practicing mindfulness?
First of all, notice that wording: practice mindfulness. Not perform it. Not master it. Practice it. Mindfulness is an easy enough concept, but it is VERY difficult to master. Like prayer, meditation, yoga (and golf, I’m told) – all of the practices that can be done by anyone and perfected by none, you CAN practice mindfulness, and you WILL fail to be mindful when practicing, And that’s ok! It gets better and easier with consistent attempts, and the benefits outweigh the mistakes.
There are so many ways to be mindful, but they all have the same process in common:
1) Make time for your practice.
Find a time that works for you, so it can be a part of your daily schedule. It only takes a few minutes, and can easily be worked into your daily routine.
2) Observe.
That’s all. Just BE. Pay attention to what is happening- focus on the sounds around you. Or what you are tasting. Or touching. Or just focus on your breathing. Choose a sensory stimulus and just be aware of that stimulus. For example, it is common to focus on the breath. You inhale. You exhale. You inhale. Keep focusing on this pattern of in and out.
3) Accept.
There is no judgement in what you are focusing on; you are simply observing. No opinions, no thinking , analyzing, criticizing… just observe.
4) Return.
Your mind WILL wander. It WILL fall into old thought patterns, or circular thinking, or zoning out, or whatever it is that your head typically does. And so you just notice, without judging, that you’ve wandered. And you bring your thoughts back to just observing. And be-ing.
Next up: some beginner level mindfulness exercises to try. Stay tuned!
