Being Mindful Essay

Being Mindful â€Å"Mindfulness described as being in the present moment† (Wood, 2010). The present moment holds a potentially infinite number of things going on both inside the mind and outside the mind. A person is not completely lost in an activity, nor are they completely lost in thought, whether a person is eating a meal, or playing a musical instrument, they are aware of what they are doing. If a person gets all of the worries and regrets out of their mind, it is easier to focus on the things that are happening in the present. A person simply observes whatever is happening, without taking sides or forming attachments to any one single mindset. They are mindful when the mind is open to new thoughts, new ideas, new possibilities, and new ways of thinking. Being mindful contributes to greater effectiveness in the here and now, not the there and then. A person’s mind is not automatically blinded by judgment, evaluation or any one rigid way of thinking, it is the person themselves that create this mind set. In a person’s day-to-day experiences, the conscious mind is always struggling to keep up with the endless flow of changes in the external world. To make the job easier, the mind creates a series of generalizations and assumptions about the world, so we as people believe that we do not have to do as much thinking. Whatever is going on, whether we are working, running, or enjoying a meal, we should always be aware of what is going on around us. Someone should not be overburdened with worries or even dreams of the future, and should not be full of regret or longing for any part of the past, just enjoy experiencing the present moment to its fullest. These three things are important while being mindfulness: Observing with all our senses, one-mindfully (think of one thing at a time), notice when the mind goes somewhere other than the present, and when it does that’s when one needs to then pull it back. University of Rochester researchers report that individuals who are mindful are in tune with their emotions and do act in ways that are compatible with their values and interests. Mindfulness, which is an enhancement of attention too, and awareness of the present, can be linked to better moods, higher self-esteem, a greater life satisfaction, and optimism in all signs of positive psychological health (Rochester, 2010). â€Å"Mindfulness appears to heighten the joys one can experience in everyday events, as well as to be in better touch with what one really needs and feels, It helps people make better choices in a complexworld,† says Ryan, a professor of psychology and psychiatry. To be mindful a person has to put aside their worries about the future and regrets about the past. This can be really liberating since much of what upsets us has happened in other times than the present. I remember listening to my child, tell me about the week they ahead for them of school, but the whole time I was thinking about work that day and what I was going to have to accomplish tomorrow. As the week went on my child came to me and said,† Mommy do you remember I told you about our field trip that we have tomorrow, and you said we could go tonight and get my lunch for the fieldtrip? † Then I realized that she had told me all about it, on that day she was speaking to me; my mind that day had been filled with worries of what had happened at work and of what was, going to happen at work, not on the present moment, it made feel agitated that I had done this to my child. That I had not been very mindful to my child’s needs as I was more concerned with work and the days ahead of me, rather than what I had right there in front of me, that should have been the only thing on my mind at that present moment. In conclusion if more people were mindful to what is in the present moment, be it a parent that is listening to their child, or a student listening to their instructor, parents may have a better understanding of their children and students may have a chance to pass their next test. Being mindful can be a difficult change, but with practice, it is a change many people can make successfully. To have this success a person must remember these three elements: 1) observing with all the senses, 2) one-mindfully (think of one thing at a time) and 3) notice when your mind goes somewhere other than the present, then that is when one needs to pull it back. References Rochester (2010) RetreiviedOctober 2010 From http://www. rochester. edu/news Wood, J. T. (2010). Interpersonal Communication. Wadsworth Cengage Publishing.