I mentioned in my blog post on Friday that I wanted to try and be more mindful and more present in life. To stop letting my mind wind itself up with stresses as it does. I know I’ll probably never eradicate that from my life completely, but I’ve heard so many people say how much mindfulness can help with this, so I’ve decided to give it a go.
I’m doing an eight week programme, as laid out in this book, which comes with an accompanying audiobook, which you can get for free via Audible if you buy the book as an ebook. I’ve just finished week one, so I’m not too far into it. This past week I have done two eight minute meditations each day, tried to fit in ‘habit releasers’ every day, where you do something small outside of your routine and have also practiced mindful awareness of routine activities (eg brushing your teeth).
How’s it going so far?
Well, when I started, it wasn’t that difficult for me to focus on my breathing and push other thoughts to the side. But as the week progressed, I found myself getting distracted much easier during the meditations. I also had some office tears last week. Dabbing-with-a-tissue years, rather than ugly-cry-face tears, but still. I haven’t cried in the office for AGES so clearly the calming techniques haven’t become second nature quite yet.
That said, it has started to help me clear my mind when things become stressful. With the potential house moving and learning to drive and general work, it’s a good technique to have! It’s a bit easier for me to detect when I’m over thinking or worrying about things I have no control over. And once I realise I’m doing it, it’s easier to stop. So one week in and I’m feeling pretty positive about it.
It has also sparked some ideas related to how I work and how I could make my mind feel more focused. It’s silly things, like turning off the notifications when I get a new email and switching Tweetdeck down completely for set times during the day. Just by doing those two things, it feels like I’ve closed a couple of tabs in my mind, leaving the rest more able to concentrate.
Have you ever tried a course like this before? How did you find it?
Great post, Katie! I’m also in the process of learning how to be mindful and I think it’s important to remember that it’s not something any of us can do overnight – it takes time and perseverance. I’ve found it incredibly difficult to do at work, so tend to opt for mindful moments when I’m driving to work, or brushing my teeh – both work a treat. Keep going with it. 🙂 Leanne x