Too often we go through days with little attention to the details. The moments. The stillness in the business. I was standing near some people overhearing their conversation. The themes were all about not noticing. People were saying things like “how did this happen. I can’t believe my child is at school already” Or “I never noticed that…” Or “the day started, then it ended”. When our heads are busy, we miss what is happening in THIS moment. It’s so easy to do. Plan for the day, remind yourself of things to do, go over conversations, listen to negative thoughts and the list goes on and on. Our minds constantly chatter and in listening to the chatter, we miss vital moments in the here and now. The paying attention to moments, mindfully is an important skill that many psychologists now try to teach clients. It’s the moment-to-moment awareness that helps reduce mood and other problems. It sounds simple but it’s incredibly difficult to do. The urge is to ‘think’ and our minds are great at constantly ‘thinking’, ‘planning’, ‘worrying’. By taking a moment to notice what is around you and what is going on in present, we learn to pay less attention to our thoughts. This allows us to enjoy what is happening in a mindful and engaged way. Psychologists claim that developing skills in mindfulness practice can go along way to increasing our sense of a rich and meaningful life and reduce stress and anxiety. Give it a go…try and notice something new today that perhaps you’ve never noticed. Pay attention to the chatter of the mind but focus on what is happening in the here and now. Ask yourself, “am I going to trust my mind or my experience?”.
Hita Mistry
Clinical & Forensic Psychologist