Mindfulness
I hope you don't mind if I talk about mindfulness - something that we should keep in mind. (*chuckle)
Now that working from home has become the norm amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it's a good thing that our company sends us reminders to take care of our mental health. One of the topics I liked is mindfulness which is defined in the e-mail as "paying attention to the present moment exactly as it is." For people filled with anxiety, with or without a pandemic, focusing on the NOW is something worth pursuing. How?
1. Our minds are very powerful so filter your thoughts consciously. When you are anxious, you get stuck in the images in your head and think about everything that could go wrong. You channel your creativity into all the bad things that could happen, coming up with amazingly super worst-case scenarios and even referencing the past with those awful regrets. But how about the pleasant experiences around us?
2. Let your senses come alive. Think about what you are seeing, smelling, hearing, feeling, and tasting at this very moment. I remember taking my lunch break amid the busiest days. Instead of worrying about deadlines, all the tasks that must be done and topics that must be covered by end of day, or even technical issues that come my way, I choose to think about:
This is taking my lunch break in a mindful way. If I were not mindful, I would just have taken a meal for the sake of having eaten something before resuming work. I don't think it would be a pleasant experience.
3. Worries and regrets are inevitable. Just acknowledge and remind yourself by saying these two words: Come back. Take slow breaths and bring yourself back to what you are doing at the moment.
4. You can also choose to just think about sound, sight and touch... One sense at a time. Ask yourself to provide three things under each:
I hope that this blog post can help in keeping your calm and being more productive. Thank you for reading!
Now that working from home has become the norm amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it's a good thing that our company sends us reminders to take care of our mental health. One of the topics I liked is mindfulness which is defined in the e-mail as "paying attention to the present moment exactly as it is." For people filled with anxiety, with or without a pandemic, focusing on the NOW is something worth pursuing. How?
1. Our minds are very powerful so filter your thoughts consciously. When you are anxious, you get stuck in the images in your head and think about everything that could go wrong. You channel your creativity into all the bad things that could happen, coming up with amazingly super worst-case scenarios and even referencing the past with those awful regrets. But how about the pleasant experiences around us?
2. Let your senses come alive. Think about what you are seeing, smelling, hearing, feeling, and tasting at this very moment. I remember taking my lunch break amid the busiest days. Instead of worrying about deadlines, all the tasks that must be done and topics that must be covered by end of day, or even technical issues that come my way, I choose to think about:
- the change in temperature as I come out of our training room which is like the polar region;
- smiling at the people I meet as I head to the ground floor for food;
- the aroma of my favorite chicken recipe as it is being prepared by the friendly staff;
- the sound of friendly conversations in the food court; and
- the taste of my refreshing drink.
This is taking my lunch break in a mindful way. If I were not mindful, I would just have taken a meal for the sake of having eaten something before resuming work. I don't think it would be a pleasant experience.
3. Worries and regrets are inevitable. Just acknowledge and remind yourself by saying these two words: Come back. Take slow breaths and bring yourself back to what you are doing at the moment.
4. You can also choose to just think about sound, sight and touch... One sense at a time. Ask yourself to provide three things under each:
- What are the things I can hear? (music in the cafe, chicken beginning to sizzle in the pan, the cashier counter)
- What am I seeing right now? (dining table, signs, friends passing by)
- What am I feeling? (the chair I'm sitting on, the floor under my feet, the money in my pocket)
I hope that this blog post can help in keeping your calm and being more productive. Thank you for reading!
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