The Guest Blog: Headless Chicken Or Mindful Warrior?
I know you’re brilliant, beautiful, and talented. And that you sometimes feel like a frazzled, crazed, headless chicken trying to make it ‘til bedtime. I’m determined that we all feel vibrant and alive, while also maintaining a sense of peace and ease.
Why? Because the world needs your brilliance. (I know, broken record.)
Full disclosure: I am not a yoga, meditation, or mindfulness teacher. I am a ridiculously fast talker, thinker, doer. (And so I can thus be terribly impatient, especially with myself. Ugh.)
But, I have been practicing yoga for 15 years and woven in some meditation throughout. I kind of suck at meditation, so I’ll call it “mindful moments” because it feels less intimidating and more true to how I live.
A mindful moment is when you pause and notice what you are thinking, feeling, doing. That’s it. It’s coming out of automatic zombie mode.
Being mindful doesn’t mean losing your ambition or doing less. If you’re anything like me, you get great satisfaction out of having a full life. It doesn’t bother you to have a full calendar of both personal and professional activities.
However, being mindful makes you truly present to the task at hand, and actually helps you accomplish it way more efficiently and gives you more time. Yes, more time.
For example, when I had an upset parent in my office as a school counselor, if I stopped writing the email I was almost finished with and simply acknowledged the parent’s concern, the concern dissipated almost immediately. Same is true for putting down my iPhone to kiss my kid’s skinned knee so he doesn’t up the tantrum to get my attention—thus taking more time in the end.
Being mindful also doesn’t mean you have to start chanting and eating sprouted bread (though, by all means, enjoy if it floats your boat).
However, being mindful of how you treat your body, including what and how you eat, does impact your health and wellness.
For example, when I’m frantically running around and grab a handful of chocolate off the receptionist’s desk because I didn’t eat a satisfying lunch, I feel bummed and still unsatisfied. When I take even just five mindful minutes to eat, I feel way more nourished and ready to rock.
Being mindful also doesn’t mean being perfectly present each and every second, and beating yourself up when you find yourself multitasking.
However, the more often we can pause and be mindful of what we’re doing, feeling, experiencing, then the more energy and joy we can experience in our lives.
For example, sometimes I talk on the phone while cooking dinner. I think that’s okay, as long as I’m mindful enough to truly listen and not cut myself. Now, if I find myself texting and driving, that’s an opportunity for a mindful moment, to pause and notice what my priorities are (i.e. safety).
I used to get super annoyed when people told me to slow down. It’s like telling a cat not to lick itself. I get a lot done in short periods of time. And I suffer from FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) syndrome.
I don’t like to miss out on having fun, so I schedule carefully for maximum time effectiveness. Being this way has served me well in many ways. But I’m also learning to slow down when I need to. To consciously choose how I use my time. To get off the computer when my five year old says he wants to cuddle (true story).
I want to be less headless chicken, more peaceful warrior.
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