“MIND IS LIKE WATER WHEN IT TURBULENT, IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE, WHEN IT BECOMES CALM, EVERYTHING BECOMES CLEAR.”
A Call to Action
If we look at the turbulent times of today we find ourselves engulfed within a wave of uncertainty and ambiguity. We are totally unaware of the fact that news might reach our ears the very next moment. Our tomorrows seem to be a far reality today. We are living in a world that is under the threat of a particle that cannot be viewed with the naked eye. The mental health of present-day humanity is totally at stake. According to Dr. Samir Parikh, Director, Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare,” The current situations are affecting the mental well-being on account of the uncertainty of the present and the future, the impact on the physical health of the self and loved ones, impact on work and productivity, and as a result, an effect on the relations that surround them.” A number of research studies have also revealed high levels of fear, anxiety, and stress. Isn’t it ironic in nature, that human beings with a magnificent physique are getting succumbed to a small particle?
It is this question which bothers me a lot nowadays. And it has forced me to explore the power of our beautiful minds which can work out wonders in these times of adversity. The stress and fear we are living in today, need to be ruled out through individual action, otherwise the situation might be tough to handle.
“Mind is everything, what you think you become.”
Gautam Buddha
This small quotation somewhere holds the answer to my question. Our mind is very powerful and nothing can overpower it. Hence, the present times demand strong and healthy minds and in my view, such strengths can only be generated by gathering as much positive energy as possible and emanating the same to the entire world. We all have to become so powerful at the mental level that no negativity, no disease, no virus can enter our aura. And the art of nurturing a positive mind by giving utmost importance to our ‘presents’ can be termed Mindfulness. It should become our mantra of life. Now, what actually is mindfulness? As we are living in a busy world today, multitasking has become our real-life mantra. But in the rush to accomplish necessary tasks, we find ourselves losing connection with the present moment-missing out on what we are doing and how we are feeling. Our past and future occupy a major portion of our today. We can live fearlessly and have no anxiety if we concentrate entirely on our present.
Mindfulness, in the words of Bishop and Kabat-Zinn, stands for, “the inherent ability of the human mind to pay attention to both internal and external stimuli in the present moment with an attitude of acceptance, curiosity, and exploration.” Hence, it is the practice of purposely focusing one’s attention on the present moment and accepting it without judgment. Being judgemental about our lives can be the biggest poison we can give to our minds.
In order to help the different segments of society a number of Mindfulness-based interventions(MBIs) and Mindfulness practices are being organized in corporate organizations in particular and other organizations in general. Now, the question arises, how can we practice mindfulness in our everyday lives?
Here are certain tips that we all can follow and live lives to the fullest.
1) Happiness is now somewhere else but! Now
A few years back, while attending a happiness program under the Art of Living Foundation, the trainer asked us, “Where does your happiness lie?” All the participants responded with varied answers like money, good health, family, job achievements, a good living standard, etc. The trainer kept smiling at the materialistic answers given by all of us and at once while snapping his fingers, he uttered NOW, he said your happiness is present in this very moment. This is what we need to understand today that our happiness and our lives lie in this very moment.
2) Be Grateful
The world is beautiful, we are in a much better situation than any other person, we have food, we have water, we have light…life is good. Why to look only at the loopholes? Why to look only at the things which are missing in life? There is no point if we keep on cribbing about our lives. Be grateful to God that we are alive. Be grateful for your loved ones being alive. A number of speakers on mindfulness stress a lot upon following the mantra of gratitude in life.
3) Be Calm
I know that the scenario today is quite perturbed in nature, but we can conquer it by being calm. There is no need to panic. Doctors believe that panic attacks lower the oxygen levels of patients in fatal ways. We have to become mindful and remain calm to act purposefully.
4) Get Going-Keep Doing
The pandemic can be overwhelming at times, and we might feel demotivated even to carry out our daily household chores. Again, give a keen thought to your thoughts and think can this small microorganism affect my life so much? No, not at all. We need to involve ourselves in normal life tasks and try to restore our mental health by doing what we enjoy doing.
5) This too shall pass
We have to accept one thing in life, nothing remains forever. Change is bound to occur and it is how life moves. Acceptance of the moment has always worked out wonders. When we accept reality, life becomes very simple because then our mind is free from questions, it is free from judgments actually.
6) Stop forming fearful and anxious thoughts and don’t discuss the same
Do you know the longevity of the virus in the air depends a lot upon the amount of value it receives from its immediate recipients? It is as simple as nurturing a small plant in your garden. If you take good care of it, it will grow, same thing is happening today, be it the televisions or our mobile phones or any other medium of communication, all are spreading fear and anxiety. And consequently, we are cultivating the same fearful and anxious thoughts in our minds.
7) Breathe deeply
Have you ever noticed that the number of times we inspire decreases when we become frightened, anxious, or get panicky? It does decrease, so we need to undergo deep breathing almost three times a day. This act can keep on filling up the reservoir of oxygen in our body.
8) Have faith in the Almighty
God is all pervasive, his blessings our touching us every moment. We need to sense those blessings and live life without having any questions in our minds. Although science has developed at a fast pace, the magnificence and the power of the almighty stand on a different pedestal altogether.
Hence, Mindfulness can unlock life in the tough times of today. All we need to do is just be cautious about our thoughts. If we want to rage a battle against this wave, we need to think mindfully, we need to stop sharing messages revealing the number of deaths and most importantly we need to stop calling it ‘devastating.’ Smile, trust me life is beautiful. As the words of Marilyn Monroe go,
“KEEP SMILING BECAUSE LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL THING, AND THERE IS SO MUCH TO SMILE ABOUT.”
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