Finding Calm in the Chaos: My Mindfulness Hack
“Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep, really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough.”
I’m roughly three-quarters through of a nearly two-week staycation, or as I like to reframe it, time to “enjoy our mortgage.” Having a pack of dogs means sacrificing the tropical vacations of our past, however I can’t complain. We’ve consciously created our own little retreat here, a sanctuary we genuinely love and look forward to enjoying.
In years past, I’ll admit that slipping into vacation mode wasn't always easy. My everyday life typically runs at what feels like 500 mph, making slowing down and truly relaxing seem near impossible. Historically, it would take a good four days to ease up even slightly.
That is until I finally got my mindfulness practices in order.
What is Mindfulness?
Let's talk about mindfulness for a moment. Some people dismiss it as a bunch of new-age nonsense, just another trendy buzzword tossed around with little to no real-life benefit.
And while mindfulness may indeed be a buzzword, the benefits are real.
Mindfulness is the practice of purposefully bringing your attention to the present moment, without judgment. It involves becoming fully aware of your thoughts, feelings, and environment in a gentle and accepting way.
Mindfulness is all what you make it. It's not complicated. It's simply about consciously stepping out of autopilot and breaking free from mindless routines while tuning into the richness of your present experience. Most of us rarely realize just how unconsciously we live our daily lives.
Whenever I think of mindfulness, Hemingway’s famous quote comes to mind: “Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep, really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough.” While perhaps a bit dark, his words remind me what it truly means to be “wholly alive” and fully present.
My Mindfulness Hack
So back to my mindfulness hack. It’s pretty straightforward: Tune into your senses.
Stay with me here. In fact, give it a shot. Simply tune into what you’re experiencing with each of your senses.
What are you currently hearing? For me, I hear the dogs barking at a delivery at the front door, cicadas humming in waves, a symphony of birds chirping, cars whizzing by in the distance, the hum of the pool motor, a car door shutting…
What are you seeing? Right now, I am sitting on my deck looking at the billowy clouds in the sky, plants on the deck, the shadows of the leaves from my Morning Glories on the deck, the ripples of the water in the pool, puddles of leftover rain on the deck furniture…
What are you tasting? I’m enjoying a cool glass of water with just a sprinkle of salt after a morning run…
What are you smelling? I smell the basil plants all around me, wafts of lemon balm, the grass on a particularly humid morning…
What are you feeling? I’m currently feeling my arms stick to the table, the warm, heavy, stagnant air with a gentle breeze every so often, the cool rug beneath my toes…
Your Turn
Now it's your turn. Dive deeply into your present moment. Allow yourself to fully experience your here and now. Trust that the hustle and bustle of life will be patiently waiting for you when you're ready to reengage, likely with renewed perspective and energy.
