Happy Hump Day Learners!
I hope that you are all well this midweek, a week where many are starting their first days of schools, while others are in a limbo of delays. No matter which of the two camps you fall in (or a third if venturing out on your own), this can be a really stressful time for both students and families.
That is why I am going to both make this a short, direct and informational post, as well as leave this week's post free to the public. If you find any of the information helpful, then please consider hitting that heart button, sharing the post and signing up for the free 14 day trial. It is only $3 a week afterwards, and for the price of a coffee you can help support my mission of supporting and helping others.
What is a "Mindful Minute?"
What are you doing right now while you read this post? Are you sitting or standing? Moving or staying still? Are you breathing quickly or slowly? Do you feel tense or relaxed? Are your thoughts fast and scattered, or slow and calculated?
Taking a few seconds to ask yourself questions like these, to do a mental and physical check of how you are at any given moment - this is the core meaning of a Mindful Minute. A Mindful Minute is about take a second to step back from your current situation and environment, and mentally take stock of how you are doing and more importantly - what you are doing.
It is by taking these Mindful Moments that we can evaluate whether we are on track or off course on our journey to attain our goals. What is important is that we do these periodically throughout not only our weeks, but also throughout our days.
There are three main learning styles, Kinesthetic or to learn by doing, Auditory or to learn by hearing and Visual or to learn by seeing. We are all some combination of these three, but usually you are strongest in one or two.
Luckily, there are a few easy tricks that can let you get into that detached mindset. Here are my three favorites for each of the learning styles.
For Kinesthetic Learners
Are you able to feel your butt on the seat or your feet on the floor? What about your feet on the ground or the movement of your breath?
Congratulations you are now aware of the sensation of Gravity! Take a second to stay with that sensation, really feel your relation to Mother Earth's pull. Let that pull pull you back to your center for as long as you need.
For Auditory Learners
What do you hear right now? Close your eyes, pay attention, what different sounds are there? What directions are the sounds coming from, and do they sound near or far away?
Remember, our species has come from a Hunter-Gatherer lifestyle for far longer than our modern lifestyle. Our bodies and our brains evolved to suit that lifestyle, and our ability to locate sound is one such ability that we can use as a mental hack to recenter ourselves.
For Visual Learners
Look at your hand. No really, look at it, trace the lines with your eyes, see how detailed and incredible you really are. Now look around with that same focus, does everything seem more detailed? More vivid?
Just like how our bodies and minds have evolved in ways that benefit those Hunter-Gatherer roots, so too have our eyes evolved. If you are also in tune with your body Kinesthetically you can actually feel a muscular movement around your eyes when you start and stop focusing on something.
It is that focus and attention that will literally shape the way we experience the world, and that is why it is so important to be mindful throughout our days.
Final Thoughts
I hope that I have given you some of the tools and psychological "hacks" that might help you to center yourself and be more mindful. The most important thing is committing to both finding and gifting yourself the time to take a "Mindful Moment".
No matter what way we can best become mindful, the most important thing is taking that replenished calm and focus into whatever task we have to do next. Being able to master that, will bring you true life success.
Thank you again for reading this article! Again, usually this Wednesday's Wisdom would be only accessible to client or those with a subscription. I encourage you to consider trying out the free 14 day trial, and looking at some of the older posts if you found this one useful.
Please consider hitting that heart button if you liked this post, and share it with anyone else who may find it useful. Thank you again for your time and have a great day!