At this busy time of year, life can feel like an absolute whirlwind. Aside from the craziness of holiday festivities and family commitments, there are also year-end quotas, final reports, and all the other work stressors that lurk about pre-January 1. So we thought what better time to stop, take a breath, and discuss the popular new concept of mindfulness. This buzzword is everywhere these days, with so much more focus being placed on our mental health and on balanced living. But what does being mindful really mean? Is there some 12-step program for becoming more mindful? Can it be as simple as stopping to smell the roses? We chatted with Carsten Knox, Associate Editor of Canadian-made Mindful Magazine, to learn more about this curious concept and how it can be applied to the busy lives of young professionals (YPs).
Mindfulness, the gist:
Laying out the basics of mindfulness, Carsten describes it as either taking on a regular practice like meditation, and/or simply “living more in the present, being more aware of what’s going on right now in your life.” To put that into more real-life terms, Carsten explains how when athletes talk about being “in the zone,” or when people talk about paying attention, about having empathy, or even something like situational awareness, these are elements of mindfulness. From this explanation we begin to recognize moments of mindfulness that already occur in our lives, like when we really stop to savour a moment, to appreciate, and become very aware of where we are and what we are doing, say on an exotic trip or in a romantic moment. As Carsten and the rest of the mindfulness movement suggest, to engage in true mindfulness means bringing that type of awareness to an even broader level, to an everyday way of being.
Mindfulness, why?
Today, with the topic of mindfulness popping up in places far removed from the yoga studio and the meditation mat, we asked Carsten, a purveyor of both mindfulness and media, why he thinks the idea has become so popular. One of the many reasons, he believes, has to do with the amount of stress people face today, and our ongoing need to find ways to reduce it. “There’s plenty of scientific evidence to show the health benefits for people who meditate and live mindfully. And in our professional lives we’re so busy throwing ourselves into our work that we don’t always take time to consider what’s really important. Mindfulness is about slowing down and taking that time.”
While slowing down may not be the typical MO of many YPs, Carsten makes a good case for why we should all consider it, stating that “learning to be more present can allow for more engagement with our work, our relationships, our community and ourselves. By paying more attention to what’s going on with and around us, we are more engaged and fulfilled in our lives.”
Mindfulness, how?
Carsten offers two ways of incorporating mindfulness into our busy YP lives. First:
“A meditation practice can help you be more clear-headed. It’s just something you can do for yourself, like going to the gym or eating well… it allows you a break in your day when you’re not striving for anything, when you have no agenda. It’s just you and your breath, noticing how you are. That pause has ripples into the rest of your life.”
(For more on that, see: Do You Have What it Takes to Meditate?)
And for those who may require something a little less committal, at least to start, there are “Mindful Interrupters.” Appearing in your email (when you sign up here), these creative notes help prompt you to take a moment to be mindful in a variety of fun ways. Some Interrupters may ask you to (yes, literally) stop and smell a nearby flower. Others will direct you to find something colourful within eye range. Give it your full attention for 15 seconds before resuming what you were doing. Simple yet powerful, Mindful Interrupters offer an easy way to incorporate mindfulness into our crazy days. (We’ve tried them first-hand and love them!)
As Carsten says, when it comes to making mindfulness a part of our lives, it’s like anything else: “The more you invest in it, the more you’ll get out of it.” So as we approach the end of 2013, consider making an effort to truly slow down and appreciate our family, friends, and health, and to take on all the simple moments that make up our daily lives with a few deep breaths and even deeper awareness.
Cover Image from: Mybpdstory
Want more updates on the most Notable things happening so you know before your colleagues do? Get our exclusive newsletter here and follow us on Twitter for all the latest.