When to be mindful?

Here is a post I wrote for Peace Corps China’s PSDN (Peer Support and Diversity Network) December Newsletter, for the section “Activities of Daily Living.” Enjoy! (Note: Apologies for formatting, this is my first post using the app on my phone. Trying new things out!)

When to be mindful?

As friends and family in the States are in the midst of the holiday season and all of us here in China are near the end of our fall semesters, finishing up classes and grading exams, I am reminded of the importance of mindfulness. In our daily lives we go through our calendar of events, meetings, and activities, checking the box of all that we must do. However, when completing tasks and marking things as completed, how often do we stop to be mindful of the activity, task, or event we have just completed? How often do we stop in the midst of what we are doing and take time to think of what and how others are doing?

To be mindful, in my opinion, means to be reflective and make time each day to think of how we live our lives and interact with others. Discerning our words and actions, how did we impact others, how did others impact us, and how did we impact our own selves every day? Mindfulness allows us to think and to ponder, but what I believe is most important is that it allows us to become grounded in the present and internalize what is around us. In daily living, here are four ways I practice being mindful and I hope these habits are helpful to you too!

First, before you go to sleep at night, take time to run through your day in your head. Sit in silence and repeat each interaction, each meeting, each event that you had. What did you do? Who was there? How did you feel? Simple questions that you can ask yourself and ponder. For me this helps create an awareness of how I felt during the day. You can sit in silence anywhere from a couple seconds to a couple minutes. Any amount of time in silence, just to think and not move, will help you be mindful. After I am done sitting, then I write down three things I am grateful about the day on my phone, then I go to sleep.

Second, when waking up in the morning, take time to once again sit in silence and think. When thinking you can allow your mind to wander, or you can think about what you want to get accomplished during the day. The times when you wake up and before you go to sleep are the easiest times to find silence in the day and opportunities when your stress levels can be low.

Third, when walking places such as to school, a meeting, or home, think about what is happening around you. What are your senses telling you? Or, if you are like me and you listen to podcasts when walking, where does your mind go when you are listening to the podcast? Whatever you are doing, be aware of your thoughts and why you are thinking this way.

Fourth, stop. Remember to breath. During class, when lesson planning, or getting ready in the morning. Whenever, take a pause for a couple seconds to just breathe. Pause and breathe. It will help focus your mind and give you an awareness of how your body and mind is doing.

These four activities at face value are simple, but what I have learned from listening to podcasts about daily living and creating healthy habits, is that even if they are activities we already know, listening (or in this case reading) about simple activities is helpful because they serve as a reminder. Little things can be done to better ourselves and mindfulness creates an awareness that makes us grounded, present in the moment, and stronger for others and ourselves.

I will end with one thing I tell myself every morning, that stresses the importance of words. Instead of telling yourself or someone “have a good day,” say “make it a good day.” Saying “have” only means so much, but by saying “make,” it tells an individual to take control of their day and “make it a good day.”