On Mindfulness

What is mindfulness, and why should you care? Mindfulness is a state of mind. It happens when you’re living in the moment. You aren’t worried about what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow. You’re sensing everything that is happening right now.

You’re observing. You could be observing your physical surroundings or observing that which is present in your own mind. The key here is that you’re observing without judging. Your thoughts are allowed to come and go without you deciding whether they are good thoughts or bad thoughts. They’re just thoughts. You’re not worried about why you’re thinking that particular thought. It’s just there. And that’s okay! You’re not trying to change anything. You’re simply being observant.

Why should you care about mindfulness? Because it will bring you a tremendous sense of peace and clarity. It will help ease your mind and soothe your anxiety. It will make life a little more bearable when it feels overwhelming. You don’t have to worry so much about tomorrow. Sure, have goals. Make plans. But then let it happen as it will. You can only control so much. And if you can’t control something, what’s the use in worrying about it?

It will also help you to be able to accept other people where they are. You can’t change people. You can only change your reaction to them and to the things they do. What do you have control of? Imagine there’s a hula hoop on the floor and you’re standing in the middle of it. You can control only what’s inside that hula hoop. That is all! People will be people and will do the things they do, no matter what you say. And to think differently is just to cause yourself frustration and perhaps anger toward that person. Mindfulness helps ease judgement. And when you’re accepting people and things where they are, you will find peace.

How and why do mindfulness activities help? They help stop that monkey mind that you have been trying so hard to control. They help ease your thoughts and cause you to settle down and relax. They activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which is the opposite of your sympathetic nervous system. Parasympathetic is your rest and digest system, whereas sympathetic is your fight or flight system. More on this in another post soon! It’s a fascinating topic.

What can you do to be mindful today? Pay attention when you’re washing your hands. What does the water feel like? How does the soap smell? Be present when you’re doing every day, perhaps mundane tasks. Google mindfulness activities and see if something catches your attention. I posted earlier about making mandalas. This is a fantastic mindfulness exercise that helps center you and soothe your inner monkey. Have fun with it! Let me know how it goes!