Learning to Rest Through Mindfulness

Our minds can race a million miles an hour, often in different directions. Life in the 21st century is fast, especially with all the advances of technology. In my interactions with people (especially adults), I often hear a similar refrain: “We are just so busy!” Though the complaint is common, it is very uncommon to find people that have found a better way. When it comes to our pace in life, most of us are ambivalent to change: Though one part of us would love to slow down, another part says, “It’s all necessary.”

So how can we know if our life’s pace is “too fast for our own good?” First, do you see “multi-tasking” as a badge of honor? One of the most common responses to busyness is multi-tasking—the ability to hold in mind, at one moment, many different things. By definition, this approach divides our mental energy among several competing items. At the end of the day, if everything on our mental list was accomplished, we tend to feel good about ourselves. While this skill is certainly necessary in some contexts, over-using it could actually fuel our emotional problems. Author Leighton Ford offers a critique, writing, “We are always paying partial, continuous attention” (The Attentive Life, 2014). It doesn’t take a graduate degree in psychology to know that frustration and anxiety increase if we remain over-stressed and busy.

Another indication that life is too stressful could be an inability to rest, even when we try. Further, do we tend to welcome distraction (i.e., phone checking) whenever a free moment arises? Take a minute for an honest self-assessment—Are you able to slow down, relax, and simply be present “in the moment”? Do usually you end up distracted or consumed with busyness, even though you did not intend to work? For many, an over-busy mind has become our way of life, and we simply might not know how to have a different experience.

We would first do well to admit our struggle when it comes to resting our minds and bodies. But secondly, we should be thankful that a new way is possible. Change can occur. One opportunity for growth is by learning to practice mindfulness. To become mindful is to focus on just one thing at a time—a task, a conversation, something in nature, or even one’s own breathing. Usually it involves paying attention to all our senses in order to reorient to the present moment. Frustration and anxiety leave us typically ruminating on some past event, or anticipating some dilemma in the future. Instead, here are some ways you could begin to practice becoming more mindful.

Today, what is one thing you could choose to focus exclusively on, at least for a small portion of the day? Choose something specific, then focus and experience it—only it. Try five minutes as you begin. The apple you eat over your lunch break, the next conversation you have, the warmth you feel inside your office… Pick something, one thing, anything from your environment– observe it, describe it, and participate in it. Instead of being consumed by so many different things, find one thing – notice it, and enjoy it. Become mindful for a few moments, and begin improving your mood throughout the rest of your day. While it is not a magic pill, it could be a great place to begin learning how to be fully present.