Taking Mindful Pauses
Today’s world is a constant swirl of noise, distractions, demands, interruptions, and decisions. Even if you work from home, your attention is still caught in a tug-of-war between work and home life with hardly any space between one task and the next. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, stressed, even helpless.
This is where taking a mindful pause can help. Mindfulness simply means being fully in the here and now. Mindfulness guru Jon Kabatt-Zinn explains that it “means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” This may sound simple, but it’s challenging given the constant chatter in your own head about a million things you should be doing at the moment. Mindful pauses help you silence that chatter and focus on the present moment. It keeps you from being controlled by your own automatic responses, biases, expectations, and negative emotions.
By continually practicing mindfulness, you’ll gain a sense of calm, clarity, and control. It eases your stress and helps you manage your emotions. As Kabatt-Zinn says, “If we don’t really know where we are standing—a knowing that comes directly from the cultivation of mindfulness—we may only go in circles, for all our efforts and expectations.”
The beauty of mindful pauses is that there’s no right or wrong way to do it. It can be adapted to your present activity. You can sit or stand, be in a quiet place, or in the middle of a busy commute. You can be bored, or sad, or mad, or happy. Simply watch your thoughts and feelings, good or bad, and realize that you are not what you think or feel.
Here are a few mindfulness exercises you can adapt to your circumstances.
You may take a mindful pause during natural breaks in your schedule, like washing your hands, resting in between video calls, or during an evening regimen before sleeping. As an option, set an alarm to remind you when it’s time to take a short pause.
Start with your legs, then your back, then your arms. As you do, pay attention to the sensations you feel. Try to sense your heartbeat from a pulse point. Listen to each breath as it enters your lungs.
If you’re eating lunch, savor each flavor that goes on your tongue. If you’re taking the stairs, feel the weight of each step as you climb.
Breath deeply for 10 to 15 seconds, focusing on your diaphragm. When you take a deep breath, be aware of it. If your mind wanders off to other things, bring it back to your breathing.
Rather than blowing up at the source of your anger, take a step back from the emotion. Observe your thoughts and negative emotions. Tell yourself, “I am feeling anger, but I’m not an angry person.” Later, as your thoughts calm down, the way forward may be easier to see.
Always remember that mindfulness is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep taking mindful pauses as you go on, and you’ll soon gain a peaceful, focused, and energized mind.
Taking Mindful Pauses is an online course that explores our overall mental wellbeing and taking care of it through a practical approach.