Being. Here. Now - A look into mindfulness

I have heard the word 'mindfulness' being used in the same context as well-being, mental fortitude, and resilience but never really gave it much thought. That was until we had a course where the discussion was brought upon a very much unfocused and often neglected area, me.

Our professor asked us to look at ourselves from a critical perspective and discover our innermost core values.

Life throws curve balls, sometimes even boulders.

While reminiscing, it struck me, that the past two years have just been a lot, haven’t they? Lock-downs and restrictions. The rise of Omicron. Constant uncertainty. I don’t know about you, but if I never hear the word “vaccine” again, it will be too soon.

As the challenges in the world have risen up directly before me, what I have seen and experienced is that the mental illness statistics are also rising. According to WHO, one in four people now has a clinically diagnosed mental illness such as anxiety or depression. In fact, depression is now considered a pandemic too, presenting as the leading cause of disability in the world.

Scary isn't it? It certainly terrifies me but I can safely say, that things do get better and in order for that, one must help themselves.

So what exactly is mindfulness?

To me, it is the act of consciously focusing my mind and being intensely aware of what I am sensing and feeling in a moment, without interpretation or judgment. It is that sense that lets me just 'be'.

The guide to well-being

As said, to be mindful is to be present and therefore take each day as it comes, not a part of a week, or a month or a year but every. single. day. During my life, I have found myself unable to keep up with resolutions or promises that seem motivating at the time, but ultimately too daunting since the goals seemed too far away. But when I tried to add mindfulness into my daily well-being goals, I struck gold!

During our class, my classmates shared their stories about their lives and how much they work to make their dreams come true, while feeling motivated, I related to all their stories but I also realized that we often neglect to take care of ourselves, particularly mentally. I can't tell you the number of times, I wake up in the morning, feeling low, and spend an entire day in that state, sometimes I snap out of it quickly, sometimes it takes longer.

Not me vs them.

During a guest lecture, the speaker said something:

Be kind to yourself, because no one will do it.

While sounding selfish, it was a statement that resonated with me. But I wanted it to reflect my core values so I updated it to 'be kind to yourself so you can be kind to others.'

Life can be one constant uphill battle where you meet all kinds of people who will ask for this or that. And I believe that people are meant to help others. But not at one's expense. Being selfless doesn't mean that I neglect myself. What it means is that I build myself and others up by practicing mindlessness. It's a cycle of receiving and offering.

An extra nugget of self-care

Another interesting concept that we discussed was called the third place, a place where I spend time between home ('first' place) and work ('second' place). Apparently, it's where I can exchange ideas, have a good time, and build relationships. It was hard for me to figure out but I realized that the one place where I spend a lot of time discussing my worries, laughing out loud, and de-stressing.

For me, that's my car which has been a remote home for me, where I connect with friends and can be without judgment. I don't have to keep up pretenses and there is nothing more therapeutic than going for a long drive after a long day with good company.

Final Takeaway:

I have learned that wellness is a dynamic, ever-changing, fluctuating process. It is a lifestyle, a personalized approach to living life in a way that allows me to become the best kind of person that my potential, circumstances, and fate will allow. The past is history; the present and future lie in the choices that I make today. I neglected myself and did not take care the way I should, but my well-being plan is a promise to myself, to become the best version of myself that I can possible be.