The end of the year holiday celebrations were interrupted for many of us; altered in some way. For some, it meant working more days, longer shifts to account for fellow staff out sick. For others, it was last minute cancelled guests due to fast spreading omicron. And sadly others were home sick with covid and missed out on the holiday all together.
The pandemic continues to prove one thing for certain – each life moment is temporary and changing. How are you handling the change? Are you in a state of wanting things to go back to how they were a couple of years ago? What if they don’t?
Mindfulness practice helps us to focus on what is happening now. What do we feel, smell, see, taste, hear? By focusing on what is, there is less focus on what was or what should be. Mindfulness is a practice on focusing on the current moment.
Another important aspect of a mindfulness practice is acceptance. Acceptance is acknowledging what is rather than hoping for it to be different or judging it as good or bad.
Acceptance is acknowledging what is rather than hoping for it to be different or judging it as good or bad.
If you begin to notice you are in a state of wishful thinking, “why can’t Christmas be like years ago”….
- First, notice you are having the wishful thought.
- Second, don’t judge yourself for wishful thinking. It’s okay to have thoughts like this. You are not alone in wishful thinking.
- Third, focus your mind on what is happening right now in this very moment. What do you feel, smell, see, taste, hear?
- Fifth, repeat. Continue to focus on the what is.
It is not an easy practice. Know you are not alone. There are many of us that wish things could be like they were, wishing things would be different. We are in this together!
Photo Credit: Photo by Михаил Секацкий