Just think about the number of time you googled something and for what reason. Think about how many meals you consumed and not savored the taste or acknowledged the effort that went into obtaining the ingredients or the skill to cook it? Think about the number of people you have talked to – colleagues, clients, strangers, friends – in your work week. Think about the number of times you were distracted and barely lingered to enjoy a fleeting thought. Were you mindful of every experience? Probably not! You actually may have been more mechanical.
Are you on always on autopilot? It’s estimated over 90% of human behavior runs on autopilot.
You may not remember the rush of adrenaline you got from the first time you dressed yourself, tied your shoe laces, helped with household chores, rode a bike, or drove a car. Every first in your life was a novelty, an adventure. As you got better, the newness and excitement wore off. Now all those things that fueled your curiosity, consumed your energy, were so tantalizing, and made you jump for joy, you do on autopilot. You do not stop and think about many of your habits, routines, impulses or reactions.
It is not necessarily a bad thing because as part of your survival mechanism you have habits and routines or manageable short-cuts that guide you to easily get through the day. You do not need to consult a how-to manual every time you turn on a stove to scramble eggs or the water faucet for a morning shower.
However, this ‘autopilot’ mode does not just stop at performing morning routines and housekeeping. It can slowly take over your life. Unfortunately, your autopilot brain does not know what is best for you. The autopilot brain relies on short-cuts. So you end up thinking less. Sometimes it can be efficient, but eventually you can get stuck in repetitive patterns, forgeting to be conscious of your impulses and reactions or cognizant of your inner voices. When you operate on autopilot for so long it deadens your willpower and decision making ability, you are no longer in executive control.
On the other hand, your mindful brain does know what is best for you. Your mindful brain enables every action of yours to be a choice – intentional actions and decisions. Mindfulness is simply the practice of observing what is going on in your mind, body, and environment and doing it with focus and clarity. Mindfulness is grabbing the steering wheel and taking executive control.
It’s hard to admit to our lives are dictated by our autopilot behaviours and routines. It's hard to admit we are on a path that we are not thrilled about.
Signs you are Operating on Autopilot:
Do any of these descriptions describe your life? There is nothing wrong in operating with auto-pilot for some things. However, if that is your default path and you fly through day after day so zoned out that your routine dictates how you live your life you can very easily lose sight of the important things in life. When you do not pay attention to what you need, you risk burnout.
Why let the expectation of other people define your choices? Eventually, you will lose the motivation to engage with family and friends or think through a situation, problem, or dilemma. That is not living. That is an existence that is boring and repetitive.
The Good News is you Have a Mindful Brain
It can be scary or painful to realize how far you may have strayed from what you actually want in life. The good news is you can exercise your mindful brain to awaken to experiences that will help you become more engage and effective in living a life you choose. You can achieve the state of experiencing a flourishing mind.
Mindfulness is a state of active attention on the present - you focus on the moment. In the midst of many things – and this is the tough part – you have to be intentional. You have to take a moment to pause and be more sensitive and perceptive, listen better. You have to take the time to experience your life and environment with all of your senses. Though research indicates that engaging your senses outdoors is especially beneficial, do not ignore being mindful in your workplace, because when you feel more alive and present no matter where you are, you can still be productive, actually more productive.
Where do you start?
Pausing to practice mindfulness for just a few minutes at different times during the day can help your days be better, more in line with how you’d like them to be. Mindfulness exercises can be as long or as short as you like. You do not have to make big changes. At least commit to one thing new each week that you can practice while in the shower, walking your dog, boiling the kettle, or walking to the elevator. Make an opportunity to pause for just one minute to be attentive to the present moment.
Even one minute of consciously connecting with one of your senses is classified as a mindful exercise. For example be mindful while you eat. Enjoy every mouthful.
Here are 8 others ways to practice mindfulness:
