By Paul Phillips -
What you do with the few seconds between an event and your response to it can be the difference between a bad reaction and a positive result. Mindfulness can help you learn to focus on what really matters.
We have all read or heard about the wonders of mindfulness – the calm, focused state of curiosity where inner and outer distractions seem to drop away. But how can you incorporate it into your busy working life?
Having practised and taught mindfulness for more than a decade, the trick is to build it into daily or near-daily activities. Do not count on getting a spare half hour to sit and navel gaze. Chances are it won’t happen.
Instead, you need to focus on the differences in every day conscious experiences. For example, consider how a car feels when accelerating or braking and things are changing, compared to how it feels at cruising speed.
One thing most of us do every day is take a shower. Instead of just cleaning yourself physically, make it a mental process as well. There are many sensory opportunities in the shower to test out your mindfulness.
