I am a self confessed multi tasker. I will eat my breakfast whilst reading the news paper or emails, I brush my teeth in the shower, I will cook dinner and wash dishes in one motion, I will always have multiple web pages open at any given time, I will talk on the phone whilst making my shopping list - I very rarely focus on one thing at a time. Maybe a product of my previous hectic life where I endeavoured to cram as much into my day as possible and as I often justified (to myself) I was simply being productive with my time. I could do those many things at once so why not? It was efficient, effective and allowed me more time to “do” more.
It is funny how old habits die hard – now I am not pressed for time, I have no need to set an alarm in the mornings, I have no crazy calendar or schedule of meetings each day, yet I still continue to multi task. I was in a meditation workshop over the weekend and the topic of mindfulness came up. “I have this one, I am incredibly mindful” I thought arrogantly to myself. Of course I am. I am, for the most part, mindful of other people and their feelings (sometimes I get this horribly wrong but everything is a work in progress), I am mindful of my own needs and I am mindful of what I need to do to have balance in my life. But we didn’t talk about being mindful in that way, we talked about being mindful in the mundane. How truly mindful and present are we in day to day tasks? “Where are you when you are eating breakfast? How often do you walk out the door and think, did I clean my teeth this morning?” Gulp. I was forever leaving the house and having to come back to make sure I had in fact locked the door as I simply couldn’t remember putting the key in the lock. It was not bad memory that was causing the lap in my recall, it was simply I had done the action with utterly no awareness whatsoever. I was already planning out my day as I left home and the automatic action of putting the key in the door was mindless, not mindful.
Our daily tasks can become meditations, I have heard this before but never really payed much attention if I am honest. When you are busy, who has time to feel the water as you wash your breakfast dishes, or notice the action of your jaw as you munch on your muesli? So this week I have tried a new practice. Mindfulness of the mundane. Mindful eating – so no paper or book or internet. Mindful brushing of teeth – not in the shower, but staying completely present as I methodically move the brush around my mouth. And mindful showers – sounds strange, but to be in the shower and be present, not thinking, not singing, not anything but feeling the water. A new one for me. I must admit my first mindful breakfast was interesting as my mind protested – “what at am I going to do?” Maybe just pay attention to the muesli.
It is funny how old habits die hard – now I am not pressed for time, I have no need to set an alarm in the mornings, I have no crazy calendar or schedule of meetings each day, yet I still continue to multi task. I was in a meditation workshop over the weekend and the topic of mindfulness came up. “I have this one, I am incredibly mindful” I thought arrogantly to myself. Of course I am. I am, for the most part, mindful of other people and their feelings (sometimes I get this horribly wrong but everything is a work in progress), I am mindful of my own needs and I am mindful of what I need to do to have balance in my life. But we didn’t talk about being mindful in that way, we talked about being mindful in the mundane. How truly mindful and present are we in day to day tasks? “Where are you when you are eating breakfast? How often do you walk out the door and think, did I clean my teeth this morning?” Gulp. I was forever leaving the house and having to come back to make sure I had in fact locked the door as I simply couldn’t remember putting the key in the lock. It was not bad memory that was causing the lap in my recall, it was simply I had done the action with utterly no awareness whatsoever. I was already planning out my day as I left home and the automatic action of putting the key in the door was mindless, not mindful.
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| My new breakfast spot - no newspaper or laptop in sight, just me and the birds |
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