Or we might take a stab at dodge emotions or shut them out.
Either way, this is a recipe for emotion to overwhelm us.
It also doesn’t (and can’t!)
solve the problems we are trying to escape.
So, what can we do?
We can make another choice.
We can switch off the autopilot and take the wheel ourselves.
This starts with mindfulness.
Anyone can do it, even those whose usual M.O.
is a far cry from being mindful.
Mindfulness is a skill like any other, so it can be learned.
Also like any other skill, the more you practice it, the better you will get at it.
So here’s the two-word guide on how to practice mindfulness:pay attention.And I mean really pay attention.
To things as they are.
In the present moment.
And that’s it.
But in a nutshell, that’s really all you’re gonna wanna know.
Notice all that is happening within your mind and body and in the world around youright now.
Modern life is chock-full of habits of the mind that get in the way of mindfulness.
Be on the lookout for them in your own life.
Steering clear of these is key to practicing mindfulness.
And you do it all the time.
Try spending a few days noticing all the judgments you make throughout the day.
About anything and everything: “What the hell is that lady wearing?”
“Yuck, this food is gross!”
“I should not be the one handling this!”
“Oh, that is bitter.”
“I have a task that I do not like.”
Adapted fromWise Mind Living: Master Your Emotions, Transform Your Lifeby Erin Olivo, PhD.
Copyright 2014 by Erin Olivo.
Published by Sounds True.
