Mind your thoughts
Do you often feel restless because you have a lot of thoughts swimming in your head?
Now, reflect on these thoughts and ask yourself if either of these profound thinking need attention now or can it be pushed to a later time?
We often feel our productivity will increase if we multi-task, whereas we are just losing focus and causing stress. We must remind ourselves, one thing at a time!
After contracting covid, I can say I am going to continue practicing this now more than ever. The last two months have been such a mental struggle for me on the health and personal front. Grappling with anxiety stemmed mainly from worrying about the future.
We tend to worry about consequences unnecessarily. It is not easy to maintain a stable and calm mind in a difficult situation, but thatโs why we need to practice it. I need to practice it.
Live in the now
Writing my blog articles without getting distracted by the world of Instagram often requires multiple attempts. Such disruptions donโt just cause procrastinations but social dilemmas too.
Here, neither the task at hand nor the social media amusement has my complete attention. Not a big deal then, but it causes distress later as I am not satisfied with the outcome.
We all need to make living in the present moment a goal of our lives.
Quit the mental chatter and focus your time and energy on the present task at hand.
Once, I held a towel and a snack wrapper to throw in the laundry bag and the dustbin, respectively, but I did vice versa! No, I wasnโt sleep-walking. I was ridiculously absent-minded.
Hmph! Daydreaming was fun while it lasted!
Being forgetful usually happens when you arenโt fully present but rather occupied with thoughts running in some other arena of the mind.
A wandering mind
Why can’t I stay in the moment?ย
We have all been there. Youโre trying your best to pay attention to the professor in class or at some company meeting but instead find your mind wandering into random thoughts. Will you eat pizza or pasta for dinner? or are you busy reminiscing about your weekend trip with friends.
You have left the present moment and chose to dwell on thoughts in the past or the future.
Indeed, letting your mind wander off may strike you with some creative solution or some mind-blowing idea leading to your โahaโ moment.
However, I have learned that living in now, i.e., in the present moment, is extremely important to maintain sanity and to experience life in real terms irrespective of what situation you are in.
How to stay in the moment
The book โThe Practicing Mindโ by Thomas Sterner was a real eye-opener for me. I learned the importance of staying in the present. However, your mind usually likes to travel between the past and the futureโan excellent read.
Now, each time my thoughts drift away from the present, I remind myself to bring my attention back to NOW.
A hot bath or shower is my relaxing space. When I am in the shower, I focus my mind on enjoying the hot water, the sweet fragrance of my shower gel, some bathroom singing that lifts my mood, and I try not to let my mind run into any introspective thoughts.
So how many bathroom singers do we have here? Singing your hearts out in the shower with no critics to worry about is so much fun, right! You are a star in there!
The art of now
Are you worried that your actions in the past could lead to judgments and opinions which is stopping you from being yourself? Lose these inhibitions and be you in the present.
I noticed that most of the concerns arising from the mind are in the future. Youโre primarily concerned about how things will turn up for you in the futureโa lot of โwhat ifโ thoughts circling the mind, which creates unnecessary stress and anxiety.
You never know what the future has planned for you, donโt stress on something that hasnโt happened; focus on finding solutions instead of problems.
It is important to mention here that this gets extremely difficult for me to practice in a tense situation. However, I practice mindfulness one day at a time, and I am getting better at it.
90% of the time, the fears or worries are unwarranted.
Don’t leave this moment…
My mom, who is avidly into meditation, often explains to me the benefits of thoughtlessness.
Although this might sound silly or unimportant, it has helped me stay positive and is why I decided to write about it.
It helps me find solace even in the most challenging situations wherein I could quickly lose my mind, stressing about how the future could unfold for me.
You cannot be utterly undistracted, but you can analyze the occurring thoughts quickly as important or discard them.
I have recently started a daily meditation practice. I try to stay with my breath avoiding all distractions and random thoughts, gradually increasing the timing.
Self-awareness and greater self-control of mind and body help mental stability and calmness.
Practice mindfulness through things you love to do
DO YOU HAVE A HOBBY OR ANY ACTIVITY THAT HAS YOUR MIND FIXATED ON TO IT?
Painting is a meditation for me. I love it, so I am engrossed in this particular activity, and it is the simplest form of mindfulness as It has my complete focus without leaving the moment.
The same goes with driving for me. I am rarely distracted while driving. I donโt pay much attention to people speaking in the car or to the music playing.
You must have noticed that even when we watch an intriguing movie, our attention is 100%. Likewise, you need to give 100% focus to every little thing you do in your life.
You do not need to enjoy the activity; you must concentrate on what you are doing. If you force yourself to like anything, you will work yourself up and stress about it unnecessarily.
Outlook on processing life
Appreciate things or people around you. Get involved in deeper conversations.
Sure, daydreaming makes life interesting, but we stop seeing life with clarity when we leave the present.
We, humans, tend to appreciate things in the past than the present. Be more grateful to the smallest of items in your life, even if it is a hot cup of coffee you have every morning.
I know that this habit is working for me because I donโt find mundane activities too boring anymore. My plan is just to get it done by focusing on a particular activity. And when I find myself in a challenging situation, I try not to panic, unlike earlier but concentrate on finding a solution for the problem.ย
Did you make it through the article without thinking about your next Netflix show or dinner?
I have just begun practicing living in the here and now and have a long way to go. Try it today. You will realize how restless our wandering mind is.
What is that one thing that you love to do that doesnโt take you away from the present? Gardening? Bird watching? or anything that interests you?
What is your pick?
Tell me more in the comments below or write to me personally, even if it is to say that you are a bathroom singer like me! ๐
