When I ask women what their challenges are the common response is “not enough time” and “I can’t focus.”
I relate to this; I’m a good procrastinator and the champion of “this will only take a minute.” The trouble is consecutive minutes add up and my window of time is gone.
Having a mindfulness practice helps with this. Doing things mindfully doesn’t mean you do things slower and while you may not be working faster you get the job done, not half done to come back to “in a minute.”
As women, we are so conditioned to multi-tasking, it can be hard to change.
Working mindfully keeps me focused, coming back to the present moment and to the task at hand.
How do I do this?
Awareness is required so that I notice when I’m distracted by thoughts or feelings. When I notice my mind starting to wander I take refuge in my breath and body to refocus and come back to the present moment.
I will take a few breaths, natural breaths, deep breaths whatever works at the time, feeling and noticing the breath in and out, feeling the sensations in my body. It only takes a few minutes and then I can return to whatever I’m doing.
Our mind is like a well-shaken snow globe, the glitter representing the thoughts racing around our mind.
Mindfulness is being aware of the distractions and gently and kindly, returning to the present moment.
Recently a woman in my class commented: “My mind is so busy, no wonder I am tired all the time!”
I plan my day. I write down my tasks and work through the list not starting the next task, physically or in my head until I’ve finished what I’m working on.
This leaves me such a sense of achievement as opposed to having several started, un finished tasks that I keep revisiting in my mind.
Being in the moment isn’t easy but over time the accumulative effects speak for themselves. Having a formal meditation practice will support this as the aim is to notice the thoughts and not get caught up in them by returning your focus to your breath or your body.
To get off to a good start I recommend attending a class.
Jump over to my website to see if my classes will work for you.
Image courtesy Kai-Oberhauser, Unsplash