Marvelous Mind Chi Monday – Time for mindful reflection?

My reflection for today is ‘mindfulness’ and/or ‘meditation’.

I have been on this planet for quite a while – well, time enough to drag out my mini-skirts at least 6 times! And what occurred to me recently was that, along with my mini-skirts, there are many other tried and true things, which will be ‘new’ to the younger generations!

What joy!! A whole new fresh audience to share stuff that has stood the test of time.

So when I ask groups of people, ‘Do you have some mindful or meditative moments?’ Only about 2 in 30 people say they do. ‘Why not?’ I ask; ‘Takes too long’; ‘Don’t know how’; ‘Costs too much’; ‘Don’t want to wear orange!’; ‘I am not very flexible’; ‘Against my religion’; ‘Who needs to say a made up word?’ ‘It’s for hippies!’; ‘It is just plain weird!’.

What if I were to say that you do both of them already! That it is a natural part of our neurological function, in fact you MUST do it to stay sane! Further, it is a fast track to building your resilience; managing your emotions; improving your concentration and memory. In other words – necessary!

You are at work, looking through a less than exciting report – ops! What was on those past 10 pages… where was your mind?! You are in front of a crackling fire, sitting very comfortably, you suddenly ‘return’ from the reverie you were enjoying. You are ‘lost’ in a task that you really relish, someone calls your name, you are not aware.

These are all natural forms of mindfulness / meditation.

A Harvard study found that people spend 46.9 percent of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they are doing. Try checking in with your thoughts and see where you are! Growing your mindfulness greatly increases the richness and joy in nearly whatever you are doing.

  • Check in – where is your mind?

Is there a difference with mindfulness and meditation?

Is there a difference? In my experience over the past 50 years, there is definitely a lot of overlap.

Mindfulness is multi-sensorially attending to the task at hand.

And then mindfulness can grow into meditation, you may start with a focus on your breath, or on walking, or a piece of music, but then it ‘grows’ into a beautiful expanse of nothing/everythingness.

For example, I begin by performing my 8-minute/step Mind Chi routine, and after my final moment of gratitude, I just float; loose track of time; (so I previously set a timer) and the best way I can describe it is as though I am having a top up of whatever I need to be my best me.

In this fast paced, constant stimulation, multi-tasking world, we really need some ‘nothingness’! May I invite you to try it?

Both can enhance a deeply enriching way of life – live with your present awareness on what you are doing and expanding it to all there is.

More Chi marvelousness may be found here!

Marvelous Mind Chi Monday – stress + decisions = disaster!

The combination of stress and decisions is a recipe for DISASTER!

You have been under stress for nearly two years now. Even if you are quite resilient, it is bound to be taking a strain on your overall wellbeing.

There is a considerable amount of scientifically researched data showing the relationship of stress/strain on your decision making ability.

Be wary when making a decision under stress.

If it is just to decide the colour of your new beret, then it is not too important if it is not the best decision!

Does stress + decision making = disaster?

However, the Sage Publications states: “Participants’ choices exhibited a stronger reflection effect when participants were under stress than when they were in the no-stress control phase. This suggests that stress modulates risk taking, potentially exacerbating behavioral bias in subsequent decision making. Consistent with dual-process approaches, decision makers fall back on automatized reactions to risk under the influence of disruptive stress.”

Conversely, MIT discovered: “Neuroscientists find chronic stress skews decisions toward higher-risk options.”

Does this tie into the ‘Great Resignation?”

It is interesting that more people than at any other time, are choosing to quit their regular job. This is an enormous decision to make. The largest age group doing this are 20 – 30 years old. MIT says some people will take high risk decisions. Or does this mean if you are older you are more likely to keep your status quo (as much as it possible!)? This would go with the Sage research.

This blog is really to wave a flag, that IF you have to make big and difficult decisions in your work or life – please be a bit wary of the affects that the strain of stress may be having on you.

Please let me know what you think, and how you feel your decision making might have been affected.

Want help to become more resilient?

Explore our other topics: