Mindful – Today I Choose to be Mindful

What does being “mindful” mean?

The term mindful has become front and foremost lately but not many of us actually understand what it means or how to achieve such a lofty state. Being mindful is focusing one’s awareness and attention on the present moment. However our ever-present smartphones, tablets, and computers keep us very connected and accessible and our hectic, multi-tasking days keep our minds anywhere but in the present. How then can we reclaim a mindful state?

Mindful Strategies

• Practice Micro-Mindful-Minutes – Mindfulness or any habit for that matter cannot be mastered in a day. James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits; An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, explains that creating a new habit should start small. Rather than “I’m going to meditate 30 minutes a day”, a new meditation habit should start with “I’m going to meditate 1 minute today”.  Clear goes on to write “This is the meaning of the phrase atomic habits—a regular practice or routine that is not only small and easy to do but also the source of incredible power; a component of the system of compound growth.”  So a micro-mindful-minute might be – Taking a moment in the morning with your cup of coffee or tea, to slow down, appreciate the warmth of the cup in your hand, enjoy the mug itself (today mine is a beautiful Dragonfly mug). Really taste your coffee, enjoying the warmth, the taste, the aroma. How many mornings have you absent-mindedly finished a cup and wondered where the coffee went?  Or even worse let it get cold, stuck in the microwave to reheat, then let it get cold again! This simple practice of really enjoying your coffee and being present in the moment is a perfect example of a micro-mindful-minute.  Other opportunities can be at a traffic light on your way to work. Mindfully feel the steering wheel under your hands, the comfort of the seat, the peace of the moment. Even better, take a moment between switching tasks to slow down for just a minute and applaud yourself for finishing the previous task and enjoy the fulfillment that comes with accomplishment. 
• Practice Unitasking. – I know, we’ve all been trained to believe that Multitasking is the epitome of productivity and that all the cool kids are doing it. But are you aware that the term multitasking originated in 1966 and referred to a computer’s processing unit – Not a human! Numerous studies have debunked the multitasking myth and shown that multitasking:
  1. Reduces productivity by up to 40%  – Because your focus goes to the task switching, instead of the task, you actually lose productivity
  2. Increases stress – Researchers at the University of California Irvine measured the heart rates of employees with and without constant access to email. Not surprisingly, the employees with the constant alerts and subsequent interruptions of Skype and email, registered higher heart rates than the employees without those interruptions.
  3. Decreases IQ –  A University of London study found that “people who multitasked during cognitive tasks experienced IQ score declines similar to what they would find if they had smoked marijuana or stayed up all night. IQ drops of 15 points for multitasking men lowered their scores to the average range of an 8-year-old child.”  Ouch!
  4. Causes mistakes – Multitaskers who aren’t mindful make mistakes and can miss important information. 
• Slow Down – It may seem counterintuitive to slow down to accomplish more, yet slowing down to mindfully accomplish your tasks actually increases your productivity.  Taking time to pause between tasks is a great way to slow down. These pauses are known as White Space – A strategic pause taken between activities is a time to recalibrate, recalculate. White spaces don’t need to be long in length. They are very personal to each person and can be either recuperative and rebooting or constructive and innovating. You can close your eyes between tasks, or ask yourself questions like: How’s my life going really? or How would my team describe me?  They are purposeful pauses between tasks.

Regardless of which strategies you adopt for becoming more mindful, the benefits abound. You’ll find yourself more peaceful and happy, productive and sane. Remember becoming more mindful is a journey, accomplished step by step. So start stepping towards a more mindful life!