It’s easy to get caught up in your feelings about the events of the day, personal relationships or stresses at work, but practice making yourself focus only on subjects you want to think about. Being able to control your focus on things going on outside of you is the first step to being able to control your focus on what is going on within you. Be mindful of when your mind wanders and when it does, focus to bring your attention back to what you choose to pay attention to.
Most people travel through life on a form of auto-pilot, just acting and reacting as the need arises. Paying attention to how you act is a good way to take a stock of who you are and who you want to be.
Being aware of who you are, what you’re thinking, and what you’re doing to help you identify the purpose of your actions. Focus your attention on what you are doing, what you are feeling, and what is going on in the present moment.
When you feel yourself slipping into focusing on the past, intentionally drive your focus back to the present moment. [6] X Expert Source James BrownMeditation Coach Expert Interview. 3 April 2019. Remember to adopt the lessons you gain, without focusing on past events.
Plan for the future, but don’t allow yourself to get caught up in worrying about what may or may not happen. Thinking too much about the future won’t allow you to fully appreciate what is happening right now.
Checking the time isn’t a problem, but your attention to the passage of it can be. Try going through your day without glancing at the clock as often. When you stop worrying about how much longer you have to wait for something, you can begin to appreciate what is going on right now.
Sitting quietly to empty your mind of thoughts of the past and present is a form of meditation. To be mindful, you don’t necessarily have to clear your mind for 30 minutes at a time. Even just focusing on your breath for 1-2 minutes can help you become more aware of your thoughts. [11] X Expert Source Peggy Rios, PhDCounseling Psychologist (Florida) Expert Interview. 18 December 2020. [12] X Expert Source Ira IsraelLicensed Counselor and Psychotherapist [v162157_b01] 17 June 2022. Our mind is built to wander and is filled up with distractions. Just to sit with your spine erect and your chin level for two minutes in the morning and concentrate is extremely difficult, particularly in the society that we live in where we’re continuously overstimulated. [13] X Expert Source Ira IsraelLicensed Counselor and Psychotherapist [v162157_b01] 17 June 2022. There are a number of exercises one can do while they meditate.
Try to observe your surroundings objectively. Don’t place blame or look down on others for their actions, instead empathize with their situation. By focusing on staying in the present moment, it becomes easier not to judge others, as judgement tends to come from a prediction of how one’s behavior will affect the future.
If you are truly in the present, you can appreciate the positive moments in your life without worrying that they will end. It is more difficult to experience the positive moments in your present if you are comparing them to those that may have come before it.
Negative emotions are like thunderstorms, they may come when you least expect or would prefer, but ruminating over them won’t make them pass by any sooner. As positive and negative emotions rise and fade away, let them pass. Do not allow yourself to cling to emotions by letting your mind drift into the past or future.
Treat others well, and focus on the way it makes you feel in the moment. Don’t expect everyone to adopt the same perspective as you. Practicing mindfulness is a personal journey, and letting go of judgement includes not judging others for their inability to let go of their own pasts and futures.
