by Forest Grene

Created on: February 14, 2009   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Momentary Mindfulness

Our world is immersed in anxiety and worry: fear of tomorrow and regret for the past carve out our lives. Is it any wonder we are overwehelmed when one more thing comes at us? Studies show that one in six people suffer from generalized anxiety.Worry and anxiety can affect our sleep and eating patterns, as well as our emotions and our physical well-being. Jon Kabat-Zin describes a technique to help us stay in the moment and experience the reality of today versus the fear of tomorrow.

The concept of mindfulness teaches us to act mindfully in the here and now without judgement. Kabat-Zin states, "Mindfulness is learning to experience life fully as it unfolds moment by moment." It can help us to access our inner resources and reduce stress.Mindfulness practice can also help those ingrained in self-destructive behaviour and addictive behaviour patterns.

Try this exercise. Sit up straight in a chair with your hands on your thighs and your feet on the floor. Take a deep breath in though your nose and count one. Breath out through your mouth. And again, breathe in and count two. Do this up to four. Do not judge yourself if you start thinking about today's shopping list or the phone call you must make. Just take note of it mindfully, without judgement.The one thing we can only do in the moment assuredly is breathe. We cannot breathe in the past or the future.

Recently, I was in a meeting and I noticed my anxiety started to rise as the facilitator was talking about work changes.I noticed that I was close to tears and did not want to be caught crying in a meeting. I took a deep breath and breathed out. I picked up my glass of water and slowly drank from it, feeling the sensation of the water pass down my throat. This was enough for me to keep myself together.

This technique can be used when we are driving or stuck in a situation where we feel overwhelmed or fear we may overreact. We have a tendancy to catastrophize issues and apply past meaning to present situations. Mindfulness is a succinct way of staying in the moment and focussing on the present, and not letting the emotion get in the way. It is a way of keeping life in perspective. When we worry about the issues of tomorrow, we miss out on the joy of today and stop noticing the beauty around us. As the band Starfield sings, "I am alive in this moment, in this moment I am found. I am alive in this moment, in this moment I belong."

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