Practicing Mindfulness

Everything in the world of experience is constantly in a state of flux, it is ever changing, and being a part of that world means that we are also in a state of change. We are never the same from one moment to another.

The one moment we are ok, we feel good, and the next, we do not, we feel the exact opposite. The one thing that stands out in all this, is how we not only interpret the moments and experiences, but our response to the change.

With that being said, we would like to introduce to you the concept of mindfulness; Toni Bernhard explains it as the skill of being aware of our present moment experience. It is a state of being openly attentive to the present moment through observing our thoughts and emotions.

Research even suggests that mindfulness can help people better cope with rejection and social isolation and at best, it is a tool that we can use to be more aware of our physical and emotional conditions without getting bogged down in self-criticism and judgment.  Fears and insecurities about the past and the future can make it difficult to fully appreciate the present. The key is learning how to pay attention. The purpose of taking time to pause, and review our days is not for us to grade ourselves, but to learn how to be aware of how our thoughts, emotions and actions have affected us and as a result, how these have affected our days. Being aware of the effects and outcomes of certain actions and thoughts will enable us to be able to change our behaviour in the future.

Now that you know what it is and why it is important, allow us to paint a picture of what it would ideally look like. A mindful review of your day sees you thinking about a couple of your responses that stand out as not having been caring or helpful to yourself, and then thinking about a couple of your responses that were skilfully, caring, and helpful. You could bring to mind something you said or did, or your mental response to a situation. As you recall each incident, think about how aware you were at the time of what you were thinking, feeling, saying, or doing—and how that mindfulness or lack thereof affected how you felt in those moments. When the review is done, you can also choose to write down your thoughts and feelings, to keep yourself accountable and in check so you are able to go and check if there is any change or improvement in any of the areas that you may have identified as toxic.

Happy reviewing!!!

Note : This article was published as part of a series of articles curated for the 21 Days of Realignment campaign launched by Agenda Women during the 2020 COVID19 Lockdown.