Time for a little more Mindfulness?

You're walking along the local high street on a summer's day, feeling at peace with the world, when suddenly...whack! Someone walks straight into you. He/she is absorbed in a mobile phone conversation, texting, checking emails or simply elsewhere - woolgathering, lost in thought, however you might care to describe it.

Take two. You're driving along in your car. It's wet and windy outside, and visibility is poor. You look in your rear view mirror and see that there's another car, right on your tail. The driver is partially turned away, having an altercation with their child who's in the passenger seat, or caught up in an animated conversation on their hands-free.

Take three. You're going into a department store. The person just in front of you lets the door swing back in your face. Or maybe you are holding the door open for them, and they sweep through, oblivious.

What's happening here? The same thing, in all three cases...distraction. These days we seem to be doing so many things at once that it's easy to lose the plot and simply zone out, rushing through life on autopilot. But autopilot isn't a good place to be. Being unaware of the people around us generates friction and stress for those who are on the receiving end. Not noticing where we are going can be dangerous if we happen to be driving a car or stepping out onto a busy road at the time. And if a lot of us behave this way (and we are!) the world can seem just a little bit more stressful and less caring.

So, what can we do about it?

Well, first of all, we can recognise that technology is a double-edged sword. It can be a great resource - after all, I wouldn't be writing this blog without it, and you wouldn't be reading it! - but it can also be a huge source of distraction, taking us into a virtual world where we become oblivious of the real world around us. The health issues that result from this are already becoming apparent; sluggishness, irritability, sleep problems, high levels of tension, aches, pains... Bearing this in mind, we might decide to turn the technology off from time to time, especially when we're around other people, when we need our full focus and concentration for whatever else we're doing, or when we simply need to relax and wind down.

We can stop at intervals during the day (set an alarm, if it helps!) and simply notice how we're feeling at that moment, and what we might need in order to feel even better.

We can cultivate an awareness of our breath as a way of bringing our attention right back to our body and to where we are right now.

And we can walk down the high street on a summer's day noticing the way the pavement feels under our feet, the warm air on our skin, the smell of garden plants, cooking, diesel fumes, and the faces of the people around us.

Let's all see if we can give it a try!