How Mindful Are You ?
Beginning with the meaning, being mindful is said to be the moment-to-moment awareness about our thoughts & actions, external & internal environments, bodily gestures & sensations, emotions and feelings etc.. But through this article I want to focus on a more understandable explanation of mindfulness.Â
You might have often caught yourself day dreaming or completely lost in your thought while doing a routine job. For example, if you’re driving and following the same route you follow every day, leaving at the same time you, while listening to the same playlist you’ve been listening to on repeat and you’re so lost in the imagination and so present in the dreamlike images created by your brain, that upon reaching your destination, there’s a “Oh! I have reached already!” kind of an expression and disconnect.Â
How many times do you find yourself totally disconnected from the reality and find yourself present elsewhere mentally? How many times do you actually notice everything that’s going on within you, or around you? What does it take to bring you back to NOW? Is it affecting your daily life – professionally, personally or emotionally? Do you seek answers often? Do you feel the urge and necessity to find that connection- the connection with the Universe?
Our mind is a wanderer, it either likes traveling in the past or takes a trip to the future while creating some wonderous mental images. If you’ve had a horrifying past, it’ll get stuck in the past and if you’re worried much about the future, it will take you on a dreadful trip to the future providing you with awful hypothetical situations. But amidst this dilemma and time travel from the past and the present to & fro, we often forget the importance of now, the Present! We’re often not focused on the present moment as much we’re absorbed by other dimensions of time.Â
Our mind never forgets the experiences it has had in the past and is always sceptical about future, thus it will always have something to say, question or comment. But you must really ask yourself one simple question and i.e. Are you the master of your mind or it’s the other way around? One must know how to shut the mind to be watchful of this moment.Â
Lack of mindfulness and lack of calm causes too much stress, anxiety, restlessness, self-doubts etc, which (if not attended to on time) may lead to physical consequences. In severe cases, one can suffer from severe anxiety, depression, fatigue, heart disease or heart stroke, high blood pressure, unhealthy relationships at home or at work, unhealthy mindset and so on. (I don’t want to scare you off or worry you more, since you’re reading this to find answers. I’m just trying to illustrate the importance of being in the moment.)
The power of Now and the power of being in the moment has its immense benefits and opens up infinite opportunities for a healthy living. Like-
Being mindful while eating won’t let you get fat.
If you’re mindful while you’re eating, you’d enjoy the aroma of the food, its taste, its colour and the texture. Our body reacts to our thoughts and does what the mind tells it to. If you’re mindfully enjoying the food, your body will enjoy it too with you and will store all the good nutrients in the appropriate places in your body. Which doesn’t happen when you’re binge eating or just eating for the sake of it.Â
Being mindful while reading will enhance the understanding
While reading something, if we’re unable to concentrate and unable to crack the meaning of the text, lack of mindfulness could be the reason. Our mind starts creating relevant or irrelevant text related images automatically while reading, and within no time we’d find ourselves daydreaming. But if you’re aware of what you’re reading, your mind will stay focused and will create correct images and better your understanding.
Being watchful and aware while walking
Who doesn’t like nature? Everybody does. Nature is beautiful and being mindful while walking will succour you with the abundance of itself. You’ll be able to focus on the goodness of it and understand how giving it is. Be mindful with every step you take.
I can go on with the examples like these. And I understand the question that’s popping up in your mind right now.
What can I really do to be mindful ? Is it easily attainable ? – YES!
Silence your mind every time it tries to take you on a virtual trip.
Break the chain of thoughts created by your mind. Be more mindful. How? – tap somewhere, make a noise, clap or click, just switch the thought.Â
Watch your breathing pattern.
Notice your breath, in and out, while you inhale and exhale. Watch your stomach while you breath. Watch it come out, and squeeze back in. Be watchful of your breath.
Connect with things around.
Try to be mindful of things around you. Acknowledge at least 5 things you can see around you, a paper, a pen or a person. Acknowledge 4 things you can touch, your clothes, your hair, or a bag. Acknowledge 3 things you can hear, maybe traffic, song, or birds chirping. Acknowledge 2 things you can smell, a flower, or a soap. Acknowledge 1 thing you can taste, tea/coffee, or a toffee (can also be done while having Anxiety, it’s called Grounding).
Try to meditate.
Meditation is nothing but being aware of the moment while performing your daily day-to-day tasks. You don’t have to sit in a particular position to meditate. You can meditate any time, all the time.
Being mindul does not come easily. Being aware comes with practice. It’s not a rocket science and is definitely attainable. If I can attain it, so can you. All you have to do is, TRY. Give yourself a chance. Don’t be too harsh on yourself, don’t punish yourself for failing. Things takes time and time is the best healer. Give yourself time, give mindfulness some time. It comes to those who seek it.
Thank you & Happy Mindfulness! ☺Â
Blog Written By :
   JYOTIKA GOYAL
Psychologist
- Jyotika Goyal is Having 5 years of experience in different work domains, Jyotika is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Psychology from Amity University.
- Has completed her Masters in Clinical Psychology and Graduation in English Literature, and learnt German Language (B2)
- Has been recently associated with Health Care at Home India Pvt. Ltd. as a Patient Counsellor for Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients
- Did her internship for Clinical Psychology at Delhi Council for Child Welfare (DCCW), under Bal Chetna (centre for children with special needs)
- Possesses extensive knowledge in the topics related to Child Psychology, Cognition and Psychopathology
- Thorough with the concepts of Mental Health and Mental Disorders
- Is fond of reading, writing and voicing her opinions
*DISCLAIMER*
The following content is for information purposes only. We, in no way claim or assure that using the information can be a substitute for any kind of medical treatment if any. If you are diagnosed with any kind of medical/clinical condition please do not avoid visiting a professional.
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