From 0e56fbd0a59f4516c1600f1bdbc305d807a4124d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Brandur Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2017 11:28:55 +0900 Subject: [PATCH] Publish fragment on mindfulness Former-commit-id: af2efca73dbf2f5ab9ce11ff31de6134380f029b --- content/fragments/mindfulness.md | 60 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 60 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/fragments/mindfulness.md diff --git a/content/fragments/mindfulness.md b/content/fragments/mindfulness.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..6123352aa --- /dev/null +++ b/content/fragments/mindfulness.md @@ -0,0 +1,60 @@ +--- +title: Mindfulness +published_at: 2017-11-24T00:54:13Z +hook: On the importance of slowing down in the age of + Slack and social media. +--- + +While relaxing in an Onsen the other day, my mind wandered +to what I wanted to do later in the day. I'd leave the +hotel, go and find something to eat and a frosty Asahi, +come back to the room for a writing session, and just +before bed, return to the Onsen for a late-night session. I +found myself idly looking forward to food and beer, but +even more so to that next trip to the Onsen. + +Suddenly, the absurdity of the thought hit me like a ton of +bricks: I was _sitting in an Onsen_ looking forward to the +_next time_ I'd be able to sit in an Onsen. It was hard to +imagine a more pathological example of cognitive +degeneracy. + +I'd like to say that this kind of thinking is an uncommon, +but it's not. Like many people, most of the time my mind is +a frothing cauldron of erratic thoughts -- constantly +boiling over and rarely focused on anything useful. Some +moments in the day are worse than others; I can often get +in periods of extended focus during early mornings when the +world is calm. After extended multi-tasking, concentrating +on anything is next to impossible. + +My feeling is that the age of Slack and social media is +making this state of continuous distraction ever stickier. +Even if it's just juggling work and a few open conversation +windows, multi-tasking is ubiquitous and ever-present, +making serious periods of work increasingly scarce. Lately, +I've been trying to counteract it with _mindfulness +meditation_. + +[_Mindfulness_][mindfulness] is the process of bringing +one's attention into the present moment. During meditation, +it's practiced with techniques like "noting", where +fleeting thoughts are briefly acknowledged before being +allowed to pass, and "body scanning", where the state of +each part of the body is considered as attention moves from +head to toe. Meditation has deep roots in Buddhism, but is +just as useful for secularists, with the goal being better +mental well-being by reducing depression and anxiety, and +increasing happiness and relaxation. + +These days it's a savior for my frazzled mind. I commit one +dedicated slot every day, but have also found that it's a +useful habit to pick up for the countless idle moments in +between. While sitting on a bus, waiting in a line at the +store, or watching the status bar on CI, a few slow breaths +and a moment of concentration does wonders for recovering +some semblance of serenity. That trip later to the Onsen +will be great, but the present moment should feel good too. +My goal is to slow down and live it. + +[mindfulness]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness