I recently participated in Interactive Health’s webinar on “The Power of Mindfulness” and it reiterated a theme that’s been in my heart, “living in the now.” This message has resonated with me because that’s what we’ve been talking about at my church recently. So, hearing it again, through a secular medium, was emphatic. I bet the idea of being present seems almost impossible to most of us; well, at least for me, it does. Our minds are constantly wandering back and forth. We focus on the past. We think of what we could have done, or said, or what we did do or say. This leads to feelings of regret, guilt, and shame. We focus on the future, wondering whether we’ll get that new job, or that raise, or whether that relationship will ever get better, and the list could go on. This results in feelings of fear, anxiety, and depression. But here’s some advice, how about just be present? Live in the now! This quote by Bill Keane helps put things in perspective, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.” Being present isn’t about being careless or mindless or totally ignoring the past or future. It is about channeling our focus and awareness effectively. We acknowledge the past to understand what is and use the present to shape what will be.
So, how can we be present?
Ann Rowland, the webinar speaker, debunks the myth that our brains stop developing in childhood, and clarifies that our brains are malleable. We can train our minds to be present. She suggests this hard but doable exercise to help, especially in stressful situations:
1.Stop
In her words, this is “giving yourself a mental time out.” Envision the traffic stop sign and its significance in road safety or the period at the end of a sentence, which contributes meaning to that sentence. If we really think about it, a lot of things just aren’t that urgent. You don’t have to respond to that email now or make that phone call now. Just pause.
2.Breathe
Literally, breathe. Inhale and exhale to release any tension you may be feeling.
3.Reflect
Ask yourself some hard questions. What is really going on? Are you just exaggerating the situation at hand? Maybe you aren’t. If so, how can you respond to the situation most productively? In short, consider possible responses to the situation and their consequences.
4.Choose
Now that you’ve considered potential responses and their consequences. Choose which one will best serve you in the long-term or which best aligns with your values. The benefit of this process is that you end up with an intentional decision versus a reactive/emotional decision. Never forget that you have control over your emotions.
As you can imagine, the benefits of being present are innumerable. It positively impacts our physical, emotional, and mental health. This means a stronger immune system, better sleep, lower blood pressure, and less anxiety thanks to natural medicine you can also learn about by reading this new Biscotti Weed Strain Review. Being present helps us to be the best versions of ourselves, and this translates into our relationships, work lives, studies, and more. We can be better co-workers, mothers, fathers, siblings, or whatever other role we play.
Good thinking. Simple, logical and result oriented.
I whole heartedly agree with your viewpoints on Mindfulness. Mindfulness is a very important concept in our fast-paced, tech filled world. Rather than occupy the mind with concerns about the future or regrets about the past, mindful people choose to live fully in their bodies. In doing so, they become more engaged with their realities (Buchanan, 2017). Being present in our physical worlds becomes ever more challenging the more our realities incorporate technology such as smart phones. It’s very easy to become distracted by the information over-load living within the super computers we keep in our pockets.
Research confirms that the practices of mindfulness and meditation can offset the constant distractions of our multitasking, multimedia culture. Thus, intentional teaching methods that integrate the ancient practice of mindfulness innovatively meet the particular needs of today’s students (Chick, 2020). Most adults feel the stress and pressure connected to the demands of everyday life, and children are no different. We equip our upper elementary aged children with technology that puts bullies at their fingertips and fill their schedules with before and after school activities, then we wonder why they are over-stressed and struggling with mental health.
Practicing mindfulness and meditation generates awareness of and appreciation for the people and things that matter. Managing internal thoughts and observing emotions without passing judgement helps educators begin to “flow with” their regular stressors, which in turn can lead to multiplied benefits, including students experiencing less stress (Buchanan, 2017). Lowered stress is an obvious benefit of practicing mindfulness and meditation. There have been lots of studies in the benefits and application of these techniques.
Preliminary findings from a study conducted with business students at Simon Fraser University show that even 10 minutes of classroom meditation can gradually increase students’ levels of physical, mental and emotional awareness (Culham & Shivhare, 2020). Other studies have also shown similar benefits that transfer over to effectiveness in education and learning. Meditation was found to improve a host of academic and learning skills in students. These included faster information processing, greater focus, more effective working memory, more creativity and cognitive flexibility (Waters, 2020).
With multiple studies showing such positive benefits, the concepts of mindfulness and meditation are being applied in all areas of learning from elementary schools to corporate training programs. It seems amazing that such a simple concept could bring about so much change in mental and physical health, as well as success in academic and career pursuits.
Citations
Buchanan, T. K. (2017, July). Mindfulness and Meditation in Education. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329715051_Mindfulness_and_Meditation_in_Education.
Chick, N. (2020, March 27). Mindfulness in the Classroom. Retrieved July 07, 2020, from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/contemplative-pedagogy/
Culham, T., & Shivhare, N. (2020, June 30). The many benefits of meditation in the classroom. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/the-many-benefits-of-meditation-in-the-classroom-94566.
Waters, L. (2020, May 12). Why meditation should be taught in schools. Retrieved July 07, 2020, from https://theconversation.com/why-meditation-should-be-taught-in-schools-42755