The technological progress in the 21st century came so far that we now are able to almost never be one-on-one with ourselves. Social networks, earplugs, music in every cafe and restaurant – we are almost sure to never be left with our own thoughts. And this is actually a huge problem.
The ability to reflect on events happening in our lives, or just simply concentrate on finding solutions to problems we encounter on a regular basis is being taken away from us. We never even want to have this self-reflection time, as we consider it simply “boring”. “Why should I do nothing on my everyday commute if I can always turn on the music/video/audiobook?” We prefer to be bombarded with information rather than sort out already consumed.
There is actually a way to “tweak” that mindset, and the solution is mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the psychological process of purposely bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without judgement.
Wikipedia
The one thing I believe is the most important about mindfulness practice is that it reconnects you with your “rational” self – the person who has goals, priorities in life, is diligent, and constantly improves himself. It is much easier to do what you “should” be doing when you are mindful about yourself. On the contrary, if you don’t practice mindfulness, you never even have the chance to think about doing the “right” thing – your brain just autopilots, and in that state, it goes for what is the easiest, not for what is good for you.
Mindfulness isn’t just about meditation – it’s actually more like a “state”. A state of awareness about things around you and about yourself. You can be mindful simply by concentrating on what you are doing at the moment, like brushing your teeth or eating. In case you’re not actively engaged in some kind of activity, observe the surroundings or listen to your stream of thoughts without trying to alter them. It’s as simple as that.
The other major benefit of being mindful – it enables you to actually feel much more joy in things you encounter every day. The feeling that life “is passing by” will no longer persist. We become more and more detached from being “in the moment”, our mind is always elsewhere – and it’s high time we did something about it.
If you are the kind of person who is used to be distracted from the everyday routine by something like music, videos, or social networks – I urge you to try and spend a day being fully immersed in your routine tasks. For example – focus on the taste of the food while you’re eating – it will make such a simple and regular thing a lot more enjoyable.
The more you practice various kinds of mindfulness, the more you understand that you’ve been missing out on your own life big time. Being present leads us to what we all strive for – to live a more meaningful and fulfilling life.