Mindfulness is now an increasingly used, understood, and effective practice. In a world where everything is instant, and everything is so non-stop; sometimes, it’s important to take a step back, and just switch off for a little while. However, you may still be unfamiliar with the concept of mindfulness – just know that it’s an incredibly powerful tool to help people tolerate and better understand their emotions in a way that is healthy and productive.
Mindfulness can help us to change our habitual responses, by simply taking a pause to choose how we react. Being mindful helps us to remain aware, and remaining aware helps to experience life as we live it, in that moment. Of course, if you’re residing in a busy space, it can be difficult to stay mindful.
So just how can we remain mindful in a bustling city space?
Slow down
Nothing is quite as urgent as you originally anticipate. Try not to walk so fast, the few seconds you’re going to save by power walking to your destination equate to little. Even if everybody around you seems to be rushing, practice walking and living at a pace that is good for you. And now that you’ve slowed down, you can snap out of the same dull routine. Stay curious, always look around and always explore.
Forgive rude people, and don’t become one
Typically, when someone is rude to you, it’s rarely personal. Generally in life, rudeness is a form of protection from pain. So rather than getting upset by rudeness, whether it be at work, during your commute, or in the supermarket, forgive them and show them kindness. It’s worth practicing empathy as there is likely to be stress in that person’s life that is causing them to be rude.
Stay mindful and be sure to shun the rudeness. In doing this, this make kindness a habit. Hold doors open for strangers, help people who are struggling with their bags, offer your seat on public transport. What you give will always come back to you; pay it forward.
Take time to do nothing
Each day, spend at least five minutes do nothing. Simply sit in silence, no TV, no smartphone, no tablet. Become aware of your own thoughts, focus on your breathing, notice your surroundings and become comfortable with silence and stillness. You’re likely to be surprised at just how effective this can be. Retreat to a peaceful location to relax, the Dorsett Hotel, Shepherd’s Bush is the ultimate centre of relaxation in a city that is otherwise bustling.
Do less
If you do less, you can do other things more slowly and more completely, with greater attention to detail. It’s all well and good cramming as many tasks as possible into your day, but if you’re rushing from one thing to the next without taking a moment to think, those jobs are likely to be done at a more lackluster level. Reassess your to-do-list, figure out what is important and let go of what is not.
Do one thing at a time
Multi-tasking may be a talent held in high regard, so forget about this (or these!) and hone single-tasking. When you’re eating, just eat – forget about responding to work e-mails for the time being. When you’re bathing, just bathe – put the book down, stop scrolling through social media. Always remember the Zen proverb: “When walking, walk. When eating, eat.”
To read more on topics like this, check out the lifestyle category.
