Wake Up Mindfully: Begin with a Goal
The fundamental driving force behind all we say, think, and do is referred to as intention. According to the brain, when we behave in unexpected ways, there is a discrepancy between the slower, aware, and more intelligent capacities of the higher brain centers, such as the pre-frontal cortex, and the quicker, unconscious impulses of the lower brain centers.
This technique can assist you in bringing your conscious thinking into alignment with a basic emotional drive that the lower centers care about, since the unconscious brain controls the majority of our behaviors and decision-making. These include incentives such as reward, connection, purpose, self-identity, and basic beliefs in addition to safety. day, increasing the likelihood that your words, deeds, and reactions—particularly in trying times—will be more considerate and caring.
Eat with awareness: Savor Every Bit
Reducing eating to the bite, chew, and swallow sensation is not too difficult. Who among us hasn't consumed an entire plate of food without realizing it? However, eating is one of the most enjoyable activities we can do as humans, and when we do it with awareness, it can become a far deeper experience that satisfies more complex wants and sensations than just our nutritional demands. We can satisfy all of our hungers when we give our bodies and our true desires our whole attention.
Mindful Pause: Rewire Your Brain
95% of our actions are thought to be automatic; I refer to this as "fast brain." This is so that we can function in this crazy world. Neural networks, which underpin all of our behaviors, reduce the millions of sensory inputs we receive every second into manageable shortcuts. These automatic brain messages are like superhighways for signals, so effective that we frequently revert to our previous habits before realizing what we should have done.
The complete opposite of these processes is mindfulness, which slows down the brain. It facilitates deliberate behaviors, willpower, and decision-making and is executive control as opposed to autopilot. However, it requires some practice. The sluggish brain becomes stronger the more we use it.
Driving with Mindfulness: Be Calm, Not Crazy
Nothing sets off the "fight or flight" reaction like congested traffic and furious drivers. This is the reason why reason is overwhelmed, road anger flares up, and stress levels rise. The stress increases with the severity of the traffic. I live in Los Angeles, which has some of the worst traffic in the world and some of the rudest drivers. Tires shriek, tempers boil, and emotions run high.