Nutshell mindfulness

I get asked about mindfulness so much: what is it all about? Does it work? What does it mean? How do you know you're doing it 'right'? So I thought a quick blog on it might be helpful.

​For me, one of the key things about mindfulness is taking time to choose your response, rather than react in a habitual way. Choice is so important and something that can be forgotten about in the heat of a moment. For example, think of a time when you have reacted to a situation - it might be when you have got annoyed about something that you know, logically, is trivial but it really winds you up. And your reaction to this annoyance is to shout, make a sarcastic comment, become passive-aggressive, sigh dramatically, or something similar. This is what you always do in that situation and you know it's coming. It's familiar, though it might not be a comfortable feeling. ​You might not like the way you react in a particular way, but it's how you have always done it, so it can feel difficult to change.

Think about the example above and how you could choose another way to respond. What if you took a couple of seconds to choose what you would like to do instead? A sarcastic comment, or shouting, might feel like a release on some level, but does it change anything? Does it stop the irritation occurring again? Your response could be more considered and could be a better reflection of what you really want and how you really feel. You aren't ruled by knee-jerk reactions or old habits any longer. You give yourself time to choose instead.

​For a chance to learn a bit more about mindful ways of being, come along to a mini retreat. The next one is on Saturday 16th January.