Most of us fly through our days with just enough time to get dressed, eat and go to work. Who really has the time to stop and smell the roses?
But we don’t need much time to practice mindfulness, which is a great thing because being mindful can really perk up our lives. (Plus, it comes in especially handy when we’re knee-deep in dull tasks.)
As author Jan Chozen Bays, M.D., writes in her book, How to Train a Wild Elephant: And Other Adventures in Mindfulness, “Mindfulness unifies our body, heart and mind, bringing them together in focused attention.” Mindfulness helps to build intimacy, overcome fears, alleviate anxiety and support spirituality, she notes.
The title of this post is inspired by a section in Russ Harris’s book The Confidence Gap: A Guide to Overcoming Fear and Self-Doubt. In it, Harris, a physician and stress management therapist, says that “when we are mindful, we are able to engage fully in what we are doing, let go of unhelpful thoughts and act effectively without being pushed around by our emotions.”
So how can the busiest of busy people be fully present in their lives? He provides readers with suggestions for engaging mindfully in a variety of activities, from your morning routine to chores to, as he says, “anything and everything.” In other words, you can practice mindfulness anytime, anywhere.
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Site last updated: 18 Jun 2013
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Very much needed this!
The earlier we become aware in the morning, the better we can catapult into our day.
Then end the day with a moment of mindfulness before you fall asleep.
Mindfulness is something I’ve been working on a lot these days … I remember as a child that I used to really see the sky, clouds, fields etc but now it’s as if they are not there and I miss so much beauty because of that. Mindfulness brings a sense of peace that got covered by the trenches of life. It is time to bring it back up to the light.
Perfect timing. A friend just told me to practice mindfulness, and that is my goal for today. I nearly forgot it. Thank you for this article. I’ll have to look into that book you linked to as well.
I have to say I find the being mindful when eating a challenge. Its something I am working on and will continue to do so…thanks for the reminder