As a person who lives in today’s busy, efficiency-driven, productivity-focused society, I often feel that I have no time to breathe and relax. I find that throughout the day, I am essentially operating like a machine, driven to complete various tasks within the least possible amount of time. However, I am not a machine, and as a human being, I need time to rest and recharge my battery. One of the most important things that has helped prevent me from burning out is simply focusing on one thing at a time, rather than feeling forced to complete everything all at once.
To me, personally, mindfulness can be applied to any aspect of my own life. For instance, while working on an assignment or other writing piece (such as this blog post), I can turn off my phone, move it to a different room, close my other tabs, and focus solely on my work.
If I am drawing, I can likewise put my phone away, move myself to a physical location away from other distractions, and focus on the page in front of me.
If I am doing the dishes, I can focus on carefully drying each individual dish, one at a time, without focusing on the large pile in the sink, or all of the other tasks I have to get done. In a sense, I put the other tasks on my “worry-about-later-shelf”, and try to think of the task at hand.
Of course, sometimes it’s difficult to not think about something (for instance, try to NOT think about an elephant…). So, when I’m engaging in a task and thoughts pop into my head that are irrelevant or stressful, I try to simply accept those thoughts and move on, rather than trying to push them away forcefully. Another thing that I like to do that has helped me stay focused and relaxed is carefully describing the task/aspects of the task that I am performing and visualizing in my head in great detail. For instance, if I am doing the dishes, I might note the texture of a smooth plate, the clink of glasses and cutlery, and the feeling of the dishcloth and water on my hands.
To sum up, I have found that for me, personally, daily life hassles become a lot less overwhelming when I carefully focus on one thing at a time.
I hope that everyone reading this has a great day, and I wish you all a productive and relaxing beginning of June!
Note: The Free Your Mind Mental Health Society is an independent youth-led organization. The contents of this blog are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. In the event of a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 911 or other local emergency numbers immediately.