Are you multitasking as you read this? Eating? Watching T.V.? On the toilet? Driving?!
Then you’re not mindfully present because your mind is divided.
Mindful living is best summed up by two beliefs:
Be here, now.
Do one thing at a time. Only one thing.
So it begins with being present in the present moment. No thoughts of the past or future. No thoughts at all, ideally. Just doing. Simply being alive.
And in so being, you are fully focused on one task or activity. Just eating. Just pottying. Just driving. Just being.
These two notions used to drive me crazy. They still do sometimes. It’s so inefficient. So impractical. What a waste of time!
But mindfulness is like fashion. If it’s practical, it’s probably not high fashion (or mindful living). Cargo pants & sensible shoes … and multitasking & staying productive. All no no’s. 😉
So use that rubric going forward. Am I living mindfully, being here now, doing just this one thing? Well, if it seems painfully slow and impractical, it just may be mindful living.
And as a bonus, you’ll find that mindful living creates mindful moments, which become vivid memories. Memory is made of two components: encoding and retrieval. So, before you can recall what you had for dinner, you have to pay attention to the food as you eat. No distractions. No phone or T.V. No thoughts about tomorrow. Just eat the food. Encode the details. Then you will be better equipped to retrieve those sensory details from your memory banks.
Just being in the moment not only feels good and improves mental health. It also means you’ll be better at remembering those pleasant moments.
Now stop doing this one thing and go be in the next moment. Wholly. Without thinking of this stuff you just read. No thoughts. Just being…here…now.
With Love
Dr G
