The Art of Being Present: Mindfulness to Dealing with The Past

In today's fast-paced world, it can be challenging to find the time to slow down and be present at some moment. With endless to-do lists and constant distractions, it's easy for us to get caught up in the whirlwind of everyday life. But what if I told you that there's a way to improve your focus, reduce your stress, and even increase your overall well-being? Yes, the answer is mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the practice of being present in some moment and paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. It is about your ability to focus on what's happening right now, rather than worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. It's not just for those who have a lot of free time or are on a spiritual journey, mindfulness also can be a valuable practice for anyone, especially in the midst of a busy life.

The benefits of mindfulness are well-documented. Research has shown that regular mindfulness practice can lead to a reduction in stress and anxiety, improved focus and concentration, better sleep, and increased self-awareness. Not only that, but mindfulness also helps us to be more resilient in the face of life's challenges and to make better decisions.

Where do we start? The good news is that mindfulness can be practiced anywhere, at any time, with no need for special equipment or training. All we need is a willingness to pay attention to the present moment. We can do mindfulness practices such as meditation, yoga, or even simple things like taking a walk in nature or paying attention to our breath can be a great way to start. Remember, mindfulness is about progress, not perfection. Take time to appreciate the little things in life, and we'll find that we can be more present and focused.

According to Harvard Business Review, when we practiced correctly, mindfulness is a great way that allows us to get in touch with our feelings and address it in a productive way. Research also suggests that professional who is trained to fake their feelings are much more likely to experience physical and mental health challenges by using the three methods that people commonly use to bypass their feelings:

- Suppressing, when we suppress a feeling, often we push it down and put it aside. We don't want to be bothered by it and might not know what to do with it.

- Escaping, we are likely to escape the feeling entirely by drinking, binge-watching, or even consuming too much on social media.

- Acting on it, some executives pride themselves on their tendency to simply act on a feeling (such as writing an angry text instead of taking time to think it through first). Like suppressing and escaping, impulsively acting on a feeling is an attempt to avoid it.

Bypassing our feeling can't decrease the bad thought. Otherwise, it gets bottled up and leads us to feel more aggressive and worst.

So, here I have summed up the three strategies for dealing with our feelings before they take control of our health, career, and colleagues:

  1. Feel the feeling without judging or controlling it, being mindful means we can understand our feelings better. Research has shown that putting our feelings into words can reduce the distress caused by an experience. When we notice we are getting frustrated, anxious, or sad, try to find a moment to pause. Start by focusing on how we breathe and feel the sensation of that feeling. We might feel the sadness as the pressure in our chest at first, then the sensation of a stab in the heart. Finally, it will move and eventually dissipate.
  2. Drop the story, not the feelings, we often come up with all kinds of explanations for our feelings, many of them centered on blaming others for how we're feeling ("I'm angry because my significant other does love bombing to me"). In mindfulness, we learn to gradually disengage from our belief in the story. Dropping the story, not the feeling will allow us to understand the situation with curiosity and willingness to learn from the past. 

Now it's time to embrace the art of being present and to make mindfulness a part of our daily life. Whether we're busy professionals, a student, stay-at-home parents, or anyone in between, mindfulness can help us to find inner peace and to live a more fulfilling life.


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