If you listened to the latest episode of the podcast you heard me tell a story about the warning sign that I ignored for too long.
While I was operating at deficit, I noticed something else that made me feel a little sad and a little worried.
You see, spring has sprung in my little corner of the world.
And one of the gifts I got from my mom, and that I have passed down to my children, is noticing the simple beauty of our natural world–a sunset, flowers and trees blooming, the sound of water, or a really cool design in a tangle of vines.
When I take a moment to notice and appreciate something in the natural world, do you know what has always happened next without me even trying?
My body involuntarily takes a deep breath. And for a moment I feel so peaceful, grounded and profoundly grateful.
But when I was in a deficit, something was missing. I still saw the flowers and the grass and the trees, but I didn’t inhale. It was a transactional experience in my brain, but my body was missing out on that visceral experience.
And then, just over a week ago, the inhale came back. I missed it. And I happily welcomed its return. It is not lost on me that my ability to be fully present with nature and in my body returned as my energy returned to equilibrium.
Mindfulness in its simplest form is taking a moment to be present. Truly present. In your body. In your surroundings. With the person who is sitting next to you. Attuned to the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures.
The benefits of mindfulness are incredible and include:
- Decreased stress and depressive symptoms
- Better general health
- Enhanced ability to deal with illness and facilitation of recovery
- Increased patient, self-acceptance, curiosity
- More resilience
- Improved job performance and academic success
- Improved executive functioning
- Decreased burnout
When you take a moment to be present, your nervous system gets a much needed break and boost.
While you can practice mindfulness through meditation, if meditation feels slightly overwhelming or just inaccessible to you right now, there are other ways to be mindful that don’t include adding something to your calendar:
- Intentionally bring your mind to the present moment while doing activities you might otherwise do on “auto pilot” such as brushing your teeth or washing the dishes. Notice the feeling of the brush on your gums, the taste of the toothpaste, your hand moving the brush back and forth. Notice the temperature of the water, see the bubbles and the textures of the dishrag and plate.
- Many forms of exercise can also be mindful, I know for me, when I am lifting a barbell, I am paying close attention to my breath, to my muscles, to the feeling of the weight when I move it. Instead of checking out, pay attention.
- When you walk into a room, notice the sounds, sights, smells, temperature and textures.
- These days, mindfulness can be setting down your device, and looking the person who is talking to you in the eye while you focus your complete attention on what they are saying to you.
- Take a moment to identify colors, textures and sounds that surround you.
The more you practice, the easier mindfulness becomes. And it makes me so happy when my kids say, “Mom! Look at the sunset!” because I know they are learning it too.
Are you already practicing mindfulness in ways you had not realized?
Are ways you can build mindfulness into your daily experience that you hadn’t considered before?
Nature helps. Because our bodies are just hardwired to respond to our natural surroundings. We don’t have to force it.
And if you step into mindfulness but don’t feel a corresponding release in your body, then you may be at an energetic deficit as I was. I encourage you to check out my burnout quiz and see where you sit on the burnout spectrum.
Be well,
Booth
p.s. A gentle reminder that the sooner you take action to address any energy deficits or imbalances, the sooner you can start to feel better!