Mindfulness

What is mindfulness?  It would appear that this would have a simple answer and to some extent it does.  Mindfulness is being aware of what you are doing in the moment.  Sounds easy, right? However, the act of being mindful encompasses much more than that.  Being mindful can be a difficult process to learn.  For example, say you are doing the dishes.  Paying attention to what is going on in the moment while you are doing the dishes, without your mind wandering, can be hard to do.  Focusing on the way the water feels on your hands, the movement of scrubbing the dishes instead of going on autopilot, because this is something that most of us do every day, is challenging. 

What are some ways to be more mindful in your daily activities?  One excellent example is through mindful eating.  This is about being fully present while eating, noticing all five senses during the experience.  It is also about being nonjudgmental about yourself before, during, and after eating.  Eat, don't do anything else.  Notice with food smells like.  Notice how the food looks.  Notice how it feels in your hand or with the utensil.  Notice salivation and taste.  Chew each bite at least 20 times.  Notice any feelings of food in your stomach.  Continue eating the rest of your food paying attention to all of these sensations.  Notice feeling satiated and full.  This can be practiced with something small that you typically eat in handfuls such as popcorn, nuts, chocolate, dried fruit, or chips.  You can practice one mindful meal a week for one month.  Then practice 3 mindful meals a week for another month.  Eventually, it will be useful to practice one mindful meal a day.  Some statements to answer as you're practicing mindful eating are as follows:  "Things I noticed when I was 'Mindfully Eating'; Things that I was surprised by or didn't expect an eating mindfully; 'Mindful Eating' will be useful to me by; Ways that I eat mindfully on a regular basis." (Moonshine, 2008).

In being mindful, it is important to do one thing at a time.  If you are driving, just drive.  If you are at work, focus on the tasks at hand.  If you are taking a break or practicing self-care dedicate yourself to that moment.  Being mindful is focusing on the here and now and being present in the moment.  It is a skill that takes practice, but is well worth the reward.

References

Moonshine, C. (2008).  Acquiring competency in achieving proficiency with dialectical behavior therapy: Volume II, the worksheets.  PESI: Eau Claire, Wisconsin.