I once saw a cartoon of a guy and his dog watching a sunset. As cartoons go, each of them had a thought balloon. The man was thinking about all the chores he still needed to do while the dog’s mind was holding a duplicate image of the sunset. Between the two, who was “in the moment?” Imagine being fully present for an entire sunset! With practice, it’s possible.
During your waking hours, your brain is bursting with thoughts. And here’s the question: are you aware of what’s going on in that head of yours? Why bother, you may think. Because your internal dialogue is continuous, random and often judgmental.
Being self-aware means less time wasted in critical appraisal of yourself and others. Here’s how to switch off the autopilot and track exactly what you are up to. You might be surprised.
- BREAK THE FLOW. Periodically interrupt yourself; stop what you’re doing, tune into your thoughts. Note how you feel mentally and physically. Are you tense, anxious, relaxed? Are your thoughts taking you where you want to be? Is what you are feeling necessary?
- BEAM IN. Take a deep cleansing breath, shift into neutral. Check the tone of what you’ve been thinking. “Hmmm, judgment . . .” or “Oh, annoyance.” Or “Hurry.” Shake it off. Thoughts are changeable. Take charge, learn to “mind” your mind. Teach yourself to reframe. “I hate this!” becomes “I don’t like this, ”but I can handle it.” “Ugh, I hate this person!” becomes “What does my disliking this person teach me about myself?”
- BE CONSISTENT. Do this self-check several times a day. Lather, rinse, repeat as needed. This mini-mindfulness practice literally changes your brain for the better.
As the late Senator Paul Wellstone once said, Let there be no distance between the words you say and the life you live.” Being more mindful narrows the gap between who you are and who you strive to be. What better time to start than now?
