Mindfulness has been a trending topic in education lately. Like all trending topics in education, the popularity has led to much sarcastic skepticism about what it really means to be “mindful”. There are lots of super fun internet searches involved in this! Someone with a reasonably sarcastic sense of humor (me, my boyfriend, the majority of people I choose to spend time with) can have a ton of fun debating the merits of quotes like “Mindfulness is the opposite of mindlessness” and “Spending time on purpose”.
But seriously, I sort of get it.
It is about being present in the moment. That’s important. It involves lots of deep breathing. I love deep breathing. It’s very good for your complexion. I wish I could stay focused in the present moment, indefinitely. The problem for me is what I am focused on. My infinitesimally minute slice of the world is constantly overflowing with deadlines, projects, long commutes and vague efforts towards self improvement. It all feels very disjointed, and makes for some very long days. If I gave 100 percent to everything I did, I don’t know how much I would be able to get finished. It makes me feel very un-mindful to write it, but it’s true. Is trying to give 100 percent enough? Also, is trying even mindful?! Is un-mindful even a word?!?!
This is when the concept gets confused for me.
I understand what mindfulness looks like in a vacuum (seriously, I’m really good at deep breathing). But I get stuck in the application of mindfulness to other aspects of life. I want to approach things in a mindful way, not just sit in my office taking deep breathes all day. But I don’t really understand what to focus on in a mindful approach. Do you just sit with other people taking deep breathes?
Actually, that sounds sort of nice.
For more thoughts on mindfulness, click here.
