Mindfulness vs. Mindlessness

Mindfulness is the act of attending to internal and external experiences as they occur in the present moment without placing judgement. When we are mindful, we are able to recognize and honor our thoughts and feelings as they occur. However, many of us are rarely mindful. We become distracted with our endless to-do lists, our lofty goals, and the stress of daily life.

What we often find ourselves in is a state of mindlessness. Mindlessness is essentially living our lives on autopilot. If you have ever driven somewhere and got to your destination only to realize you don’t remember how you got there, you have been on autopilot. During these times, we often zone out of the present, caught up in our thoughts about the past or the future.

What are Signs of Living in a Mindless State?

• Often forgetting where you left things

• Difficulty concentrating on tasks at hand

• Completing tasks (such as driving or grocery shopping) without remembering the process.

An example of this is driving home from work and pulling in the driveway and realizing you don’t remember the route you took or what the drive was like.

• Often saying things like “Where did the (day, week, year) go!?”

• Having a constant feeling that life is passing you by.

Please Note: Forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, and distraction in this example are all in the absence of a medical or mental health condition. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms regularly or find them to be disruptive in your live, please seek professional support to assess for an underlying condition.

What are Signs of Living in a Mindful State?

• Regularly checking in with your emotions and allowing yourself to feel whatever comes up

• Feeling fully immersed in the present moment

• Being able to take note of the simple moments that bring happiness

• Feeling a sense of peace in the present, rather than getting caught up in the past or future

Why is it so Hard to be Mindful?

Many of us live our lives in a mindless state. While this may sound completely negative, this state of being is reflective of us adapting to the demands of society. We live with constant distraction in our lives. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed, our minds are whirling with all of the deadlines we have to meet, errands to run, people to check in with, and thoughts we have about it all. Moreover, we are almost always multitasking. We have our music on while driving, checking our emails while on the phone, cooking while trying to clean up and have a conversation. Our attention is rarely focused on just one thing at a time, which makes it impossible to be fully immersed in all of the things we are doing.

Being more mindful means slowing down some of our actions and just focusing on one thing at a time. While it is very difficult to be fully present every waking moment, we can work to cultivate some more mindfulness in some small moments of our day. With practice, these small moments of mindfulness can carry over into the rest of our lives, and help us to be more present in our days.

How Do We Increase Mindfulness?

There are several ways that we can work to increase our mindfulness throughout the day, including:

• Setting Aside Time to Practice Formal Meditation Each Day

Formal meditation practice is dedicated time to sit down and be fully present in the moment. This practice is centered around bringing awareness to the breath and the sensations felt in the body. As thoughts occur, we are encouraged to take note of them and return our focus back to our breath. This form of meditation is a great way to set aside time for yourself and allow yourself to focus with minimal distractions.

• Incorporate Mindfulness Practice into Routine Activities

We often mentally check out when we are completing routine tasks, like washing the dishes, showering, or eating. Bringing more awareness to these tasks can help us to be more present throughout our day. For example when washing the dishes, take note of how the different sensations feel (the temperature of the water, the texture of the dishes, the sponge in your hand), what smells you are experiencing (like the smell of the soap you are using), what noises you are hearing (the water running, the clanking of dishes, the scrubbing of the sponge), and what sights you are taking in (the colors, the shapes, how full or empty the sink is). This exercise may feel like overkill, but it is helping to bring our awareness to the present moment and take note of things that we often ignore. Try out this exercise the next time you complete a routine task and make note of whether it feels any different compared to what you usually do.

• Check In With Yourself Regularly

Taking a few seconds to check in with yourself a few times a day can go a long way for your overall well being. So often, we are unaware of our emotions until they are bursting out of us, which can cause a great deal of distress. To do this, take a moment to sit with yourself and ask, how am I feeling?. Take note of any emotions that come up and just let them be. There is no need to try to change your emotions or filter them, just allow yourself to be present with your thoughts and emotions. You can take this time to write down any thoughts or emotions coming up and take a few deep breaths before returning to your day. Apps like Moodpath can be a helpful tool to stay on track and remember to check in regularly.

• Try Gratitude Journaling

We tend to focus on the negative things going on in our lives. However, shifting our focus to the positive things that we experience each day can help us to be more present, increase our awareness on positive events, and feel happier overall. Gratitude journaling is a great way to help foster positive awareness. To do this, take note of three things that happened each day that you are grateful for. These gratitudes can be for small things, like having a great cup of coffee or for seeing a cool bird fly by. When writing down your gratitudes, try to be as detailed as possible and take a moment to reflect on these experiences.