HTT: Mindful Communication

Image credit: Untitled by David Sterbik (Flickr)

Last week I talked about how technology has effected our communication.

Today I want to dive more into mindfulness...

How many times do you catch yourself scrambling around trying to do multiple things at once?

Now don't get me wrong.  As an entrepreneur with two businesses and a toddler (and soon to be newborn) I know how it is.  You have a lot to do.  And even if you don't have kidlets and a family to look after, "busy-ness" is endemic in most Western culture.  You overload yourself with so many things to do, hold yourself so accountable that you can't possible get it all done.  So you resort, like most people do, to trying to do more than one thing at a time to save time.

So what's a busy lady to do?

Take a gander at my top 3 tips to being more aware in your daily life:

• Start doing just 1 simple task at a time.  It's true that some of our most creative & inspired moments are when you're doing something "innocuous", eg. doing the dishes, taking a shower, commuting.  And while I love being inundated by creative ideas, it really is a Catch 22 when you get down to it.  The wandering of your mind is the precursor to multi-tasking.  My advice, pause and jot down a note as best you can (safely if you please!) and return your attention to the task at hand.  Make the commitment to keep doing this during your 1 task and move on to more as you feel comfortable.
• Incorporate a meditation practice into your daily routine.  Meditation strengthens your awareness muscles.  While most people consider meditation to be sitting in Easy Pose on a mat, it doesn't have to fit that mold if it doesn't work for you.  Some of my favorite meditations are moving meditations, in which I'm doing something very automatic and keeping my awareness in my body rather than letting my mind wander all over the place.  This takes practice but as you do so it gets easier and easier.
• Add a dose of detachment with your awareness.  Most of the time you go through life on autopilot.  Just doing things without regard to really engaging with the physical world.  But when you do go into mindfulness practices, one of the first things that comes up with your new sense of awareness is judgment.  You instantly start critiquing yourself and your actions.  Picking apart your faults and placing blame.

In the comments below, share with me:

• Do you default to multi-tasking in an effort to get more done?
• Which tip can you implement today to work on upping your mindfulness?
• What tips do you have for being mindful?

Thanks for tuning in to this week's "Healing Thought Thursday".  Make sure you come back next week to see what's going on in my world!  And if you haven't yet be sure to join my newsletter and connect with me on your favorite social media!

---

Related Reading...

HTT: Technology Fosters Community

HTT: The Solace of Quiet

HTT: All About Some Resonance