5 Tips for Simple Mindfulness
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines multitasking as “the performance of multiple tasks at one time, the ability to do several things at once”. Simple enough. Of course, you can do 10 things at one time. You can attend the meeting at the office, talk to your co-worker sitting next to you, while texting the guy down the hall about the next meeting and edit the report you need to give in 20 minutes. You can go out to dinner with friends, check your phone several hundred times for the all-important text message, and even log on to social media to check for notifications, all before the appetizers arrive. In the end, you can be chronically distracted from living in the present moment each and every hour of the day and night. Ever wonder why you feel disconnected from others and more importantly from yourself?
Studies have shown that doing more than one major task at a time may result in reduced brainpower, zapped energy, and lost focus. However, there are some tasks that lend themselves well to multitasking since they take little brainpower or energy. For example, listening to music while reading a magazine, folding clothes while watching TV, singing in the shower while lathering up, and my all-time favorite-walking while chewing gum. Even these simple multitasking actions still leave small room for reflecting on the moment and practicing simple mindfulness.
Why is it so important to practice simple mindfulness you might ask? Going back to Merriam-Webster, mindfulness is defined as deliberate and non-judgmental attention to the present moment; the quality or state of being mindful. Mindfulness is part of Buddhism philosophy and can be a crucial part of meditation if we so desire to go in that direction. Yet, more simply put, mindfulness in everyday life can enhance a simplistic and peaceful state of mind.
1. Stop Living on Automatic Pilot
Stay awake for your life! Show up every day; good or bad. Living on auto-pilot means your mind takes over and automatically does what you have programmed it to do, to think and how to respond. Autopilot does this without our permission or even our awareness. Get out of the “doing mode”. Live in each moment!
2. Talk a Walk (For Real)
This seems so cliché, but it makes sense. Going out into nature for a walk, a bike ride or a stroll down the city streets can bring your mind back to center. Back to what is most important. Listen to the sounds. Pay attention to how you feel. Sense the sun. Hear the breeze. Eliminate the mind noise. Be present.
3. Breathe, Breathe and Breathe Some More
Taking the time to notice how you breathe can be very significant to practicing simple mindfulness. Try to think about how you breathe when you are angry. How you breathe when you are stressed. How you breathe when you are happy. Close your eyes. Breathe in through your nose, deep, filling up the lungs. Slowly breathe out through your mouth. Do this 10 times a day. Guaranteed you will feel more centered and in the moment. Mindful and present.
4. Think About Actions and Doing
Remember in order to be truly mindful we disengage autopilot and therefore are aware of what we are doing and thinking. Be mindful of your thoughts. Be mindful of your actions. Ask yourself; does this action or activity lift my mood. Does it give me energy and help me focus? Does it give me a sense of accomplishment? Or am I just mindlessly going through the motions?
5. Live in the Present Moment
Pay attention to the moment. Don’t live and dwell in the past. Don’t fret about the future, it will take care of itself. Embrace the here and now for that is all we truly have. How do we live in the present moment? We practice mindfulness, in small ways, each and every day. Follow the tips listed here. See what happens. If nothing else, you will embark upon a new awareness of yourself and your surroundings, which just might lead to a more mindful state of being.
So remember, practicing mindfulness, even on a small scale, will leave you feeling connected, refreshed, and in touch with what matters most in life. So, go ahead. Walk and chew gum at the same time, but pay attention to where you are going.
