5 Seconds Summary:
Being present and mindful requires necessary effort in this constant distracting world. By incorporating certain habits like deep breathing, scheduling mindful breaks and being aware of the time, we are able to increase the ability to be more present.
I’m in the middle of work when I get the impulse to grab my phone to check on something important
5 minutes afterwards I realized I’m in the middle of doomscrolling and had already forgotten why I need my phone
Sounds familiar?
The scariest part, this thing happens more frequently than we want it to be
With the daily consumption of constant stimulants, it’s like we always on to something
hence, it becomes difficult to stay present.
One second we are thinking about something and in the next moment, we are in the midst of something else thinking..
What am I doing?
Our attention is the greatest asset that gets stolen by not being present
What are the mindful habits we can practise to be more present in a very distracting world?
Mindful Habits to become more present
1. find any number to signal deep breathing
Deep breathing is one way to signal yourself to be present
The conscious effort you did to pull the diaphragm muscle downwards to bring in more air can help you to stay present.
I start consciously reminding myself to take deep breathing every time I come across a certain plate number as I drive.
As I spend lots of time driving, this practical deep breathing exercise helps me a lot to be more present
Usually, I used to play some podcast and listen to it while my mind wanders thinking about something else and my eyes looking at something unrelated
It’s like chaotic multiple stimulations and I end up not remembering anything from my podcast and it became a random routine I did every day.
After driving the same route, I don’t even realize the big shopping mall on my right side indicates how mindless I am
The plate number-deep breathing signals work well for me
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2. The 5/2 rules (5 minutes stillness after 2 hours of activity)
5 minutes of stillness after every 2 hours of any activity.
for example, take 5-minute break after 2 hours of working on your laptop
Sounds so simple but trust me even 5 minutes doing nothing is quite difficult to do.
The no phone, no nothing just be still for 5 minutes
This practice made me realize how much unnecessary thought or the thought junk I have
if I’m able to minimize the noise of unnecessary thought, my mental space will be so much better
So the 5 minutes break is necessary
number one for my eyes, to prevent the constant staring at the laptop
And number 2 to slow down the thought.
3. 1 work 1 tab
Don’t multitask. if possible, keep the minimal tab open.
If let’s say during work you remember something urgent that needs to be done, instead of googling it right away, take a note in the notebook or add on the to -do list
The mistake I did before is to entertain all my thoughts that I end up feeling overwhelms while not getting any work done
Talk about being counterproductive
4. Pomodoro if possible
What I like about Pomodoro is that not only it’ll help me focus better, but it keeps me being more intentional with my activity
The Pomodoro is a time management hack where you have to concentrate for 20-25 minutes and have a short break for the next 5 minutes.
After the 2 hours, take a long break.
Every time I get the 5-minute break, I ensure I take a deep breath or at least stand up to stretch or just simply walk
It sounds so trivial but let me tell you, having regular breaks in between work is one mindful practice that people tend to overlook.
Sometimes we get soo to indulge in work that we don’t realize what we are doing.
It’s good if you are in the flow state, but afterward, just take a few minutes of breaks
This practice helps me improve my mindful game a lot.
Related Post: How To Write Thesis Fast: Time Management Hacks For Thesis Writing
5. lunch break= phone break
The lunch break is the time when we use our phones a lot
But if being mindful with living is what you want, stay away from your screen if possible, to break the constant stimulation and the cheap dopamine hits
For the longest time, I have been eating while staring at my laptop.
But the other day, I decide I want to do a single thing at a time
If I want to use my phone, I will intentionally use it for the purpose that I’m aware of
If I want to eat my lunch, I will just take my time and eat my lunch.
It sounds impossible to do it because we are so accustomed to having our meal while watching something, but just try it for 5 minutes for the start
5 minutes of interrupted eating, like really savoring the food.
Then you give yourself another 5 minutes to watch whatever you want to watch
I noticed I eat much lesser (which is a win, as I’m trying to lose weight) when I eat without doing anything else
6. regular brain dumping at the end of the day
This is the practice I’m looking forward to implementing in my life
The regular brain dumping
The problem is I notice I’m thinking unnecessary things about work, life about future, and everything that is beyond my control
So its starts like a few loose webs, and it starts to accumulate to become the big giant spider web. This clutters my mind a lot
I think a lot of unnecessary things and I bet some of you have the similar problem
For people like us, we need to flush it out of the system daily.
And brain dumping helps.
Just write down everything that scatters the brain daily
Lesser junk, the easier it to be more mindful and present
My mind is always in the future that’s why I have to keep myself grounded with these practical habits.
7. take a walk after work
This tip is given by my friend
Since then, I try to park quite far away at work
So it gives me chance to be alone and walk
Of course, in the past, I scroll my phone to prevent eye contact & to avoid uninvited chatting with the others
But lately, I just let it be
Being in the present include some uncanny encounter with other people and I should be okay with that
Rather than avoiding people because of my judgment, I try to think of something that ground me to be present
Like how many people I passed through as I walk
The sky is bright
Being mindful requires practice and I start with the simplest things I can do
8. schedule a mindful break
If you’re serious about doing this, try to schedule it
It may sound ridiculous for some people, but for those who are easily trapped working in autopilot mode or being mindlessly busy, I suggest we try to schedule the mindful break
You can do anything during the schedule mindful break
Maybe journaling, walking in the park
Maybe you can start the meditation practice
For me, it’s my prayer time. The time I can be completely alone in a very quiet room
Schedule it and do what best for you to practice mindful
Maybe for a certain time, we need to schedule it
But once you already embodied the practice, maybe you don’t have to schedule it anymore.
“Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart… And remember, no matter where you go, there you are.”
Confucius
