Being In Contact With the Present
Mindfulness is being in contact with the present moment as it is happening, from a place of nonjudgmental acceptance. You welcome whatever is happening in the world around you and the world inside of you. This conscious awareness of the present moment is important when you are dealing with something like anxiety. When you are caught up in your anxiety, it is easy to be preoccupied with the past as you think of all the different ways the anxiety has impacted you before. It is easy to be caught up in the future, worrying about when the anxious thoughts and feelings may show up again.
Why is the experience of mindfulness so helpful? When you are consciously aware of what you are experiencing in the present moment, you can perceive accurately what is happening; this gives you the information you need to decide whether you want to change or continue in a behavior.
You may be saying, “Well of course I live in the present moment. Where else could I live?” In fact, you may be living in the present, but you aren’t deeply aware of the present. After all, the past and the future only exists as thoughts that are happening in the present moment. You can make plans for the future, but that planning happens in the present. You can reflect on the past and learn lessons from it, but again, that reflection happens in the present.
The nonjudgmental stance is an important part of mindfulness. You do not become aware of your anxious thoughts and feelings for the purpose of figuring them out or trying to get rid of them. You simply allow them to be there. You make room for them. You observe and welcome them, even if they are bothersome or distressing. With this mindful and willing acceptance of anxiety, you create enough emotional space to make a choice that is more aligned with what you value.
Mindfulness in the Routine of Life
While there are a variety of formal mindfulness practices, you may be thinking that you don’t have time to set aside and do them. But there are many ways you can incorporate mindfulness into the daily routine of your life. You can take an activity that you do every day and choose to do it mindfully. It can be as simple as mindfully waking up and beginning the day. When you open your eyes, you can look around the room. You can feel the temperature of the air or you can feel the texture of the sheets on your skin. As you get up, you can feel your feet planted firmly on the floor. You can feel the movement of your body as it comes to life.
Another activity that you do every day is shower. Instead of seeing this as just another task to begin the day, you can shower mindfully. You can feel the warmth of the water and the steam on your skin. You can smell the aroma of the soap or shampoo and watch the suds run down your body as you rinse. You can feel the softness of the towel and the coolness of the air on your skin as you dry off.
And then there is eating. For most of us, eating is just something we do to nourish our bodies so we can go on with the tasks of the day. But you can also eat mindfully. You can see the different colors and textures of the food before you. You can smell the aromas rising up from the plate. You can chew your food slowly and deliberately, savoring the combination of flavors in your mouth.
Mindfulness Gets You Ready
To be sure, doing some of these daily activities in a mindful way may take more time, but really not that much more. And these mindfulness practices prepare you for the times when what is going on is anxious thoughts and feelings. Like all the other simple moments of the day, you are aware of the anxiety. Instead of fighting it or avoiding it, you let it be there from a curious, nonjudgmental stance. When you do this consistently, you are able to develop a new relationship with your anxiety, and you can choose to act and to be in a way that expresses the meaningful and vital life you want.
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