To continue my thoughts on the last two posts on simplifying my life and living in the moment, today I thought I would take a few minutes
and talk about mindfulness in day-to-day activities. This is something I have really been trying
to grasp lately.
It started a few weeks ago after reading an article on why
French people are not (for the most part) overweight. The article, among other things, talked about
how the French practice mindful eating.
As Americans, we are so used to eating on the go, in front of our tv or
computers, that the thought of mindful eating is almost foreign to us. I am as guilty of this as anyone, and in the
past during my lunch break I would either browse Facebook on my phone or read a
book on my kindle. Sometimes I even eat in front of my computer while reading
blogs or sending messages! Remy and I have different lunch hours so it was easy
for me to just pick up a distraction, and by doing so I would usually end up
eating way more than I needed to.
In an
effort to practice mindfulness I have been taking my time, unplugging from
electronics, and being mindful while having a lunch by myself. I set out the placemat, napkin, plate, silverware, and pour my drink. Then I sit
down and proceed to eat slowly, concentrating on the different
textures and flavors of what is on my plate.
I chew slowly, sip my drink, and savor the uninterrupted time by myself.
To be honest the first few days I found myself inadvertently picking up my
phone, but slowly I have been weaning myself off of the need for
distraction. Not only is this good for
my digestive system, but it gives me time to pause and be grateful for the food rather than shoving it in my mouth without a thought. Since I have been getting
so much of our food from the Farmer’s Market it gives me time to think about
each vendor who sold me what is now on my plate. Knowing the person who grows
your food adds another whole aspect to being grateful for the food and where it
comes from. During our evening meal we
eat together as a family, but even during that time I can be mindful of the
family time together while enjoying our food.
From this little exercise, I have now expanded it into my
daily house work; whether it is helping Remy with school, hanging up the
laundry, making my bed, cleaning the house, or cooking. As I am doing each activity I try to be
mindful of what I can be grateful for in this particular chore. I can value the
time helping Remy and the opportunity to stay home with him for school. I can
savor the sunny day, listen to the birds sing, and be thankful for living in
the country while hanging my wash. I can appreciate the comfortable, large bed
Chad and I have, and the good nights sleep that it gives. I can be thankful for the shelter the house
provides while sweeping or dusting and I can be grateful that I am able to
prepare healthy food for my family.
This has really helped me to relax and be more focused on
the positives in my life. Many people think I have a easy, fun life. :-) And while I do at times, I will be honest and say at the moment there are many stresses in my life regarding those I love with sickness, struggling finances, and relationships. I find myself easily sucked into worry, and then discontentment at being here in Virginia when they are so far away. By bringing myself back to the place I am now, practicing thankfulness and mindfulness, I can keep my thoughts in a positive focus, rather than constant worry. I honestly
think everyone should do some sort of exercise like this and experience the
difference in their lives. Taking time to pause and reflect, even for just a
moment, is beneficial.
Now I know many of my readers work full time and have a much
busier life than me. You might be
thinking that you don’t have time to practice mindfulness, and that if you
don’t eat in your car on the way to your kid’s practice you won’t eat at
all. I totally understand and have previously
had a busy season like that in my life when my girls were younger. Maybe start 5 minutes of mindfulness in the
morning before you get out of bed, or at night before you go to sleep. Take time to think about the positive little
things in your day-to-day life. If you
spent the day working and running kids around, perhaps take time to be grateful
for your job, the funds to pay for your children’s activities, and the
opportunity to be a parent. There are so
many people out there who are not able to do those things.
But maybe you are going through hardships and think there
isn’t anything possible worth being mindful and grateful for. It might be a loss of a job or loved one or
physical sickness I would have to
disagree that there isn’t anything to be thankful for even in these
circumstances. There is always
something…even in the darkest points of your life. I have been there and I know that taking time
to focus on positives makes hard times not as bleak. It might be something as simple as clothing
to put on and having running water, but there always can be something.
I encourage you to take time today to practice a little
mindfulness in your life. I think you
will be amazed at the results!