My Body Tutor : No More Excuses

Has anyone ever said to you, “You’re always thinking!” like it’s a good thing?

Well, I don’t think it is. I can think the bark off a tree! I’m sure you can too.

Thinking is good but what’s really good is the ability to think about only one thing.

At any given moment I’m thinking about 1000 things. Are you only thinking about the words you’re reading right here, right now?

Ever drive somewhere and have no idea how you got there?

This lack of awareness and presence leads to mindless eating. Because we’re not paying attention to what we’re doing.

We’re daydreaming while we’re awake. Scary!

This also will prevent you from fully enjoying your meals because while you’re eating you might be thinking of what’s next. Or something entirely different altogether.

When you’re in the moment like I am now – as I’m writing this (I think it’s just because I enjoy writing so much) – the words fly onto the screen and you’re not thinking about anything else.

This allows us to enjoy life more! (Being in the moment that is.)

Whether it’s with the food we eat, the exercise we partake in or the people we hang out with. When you’re there…like really there, it’s better for everyone involved, no matter what you’re doing.

So, to try to train myself to be more present, I’ve started small.

Brushing my teeth to me is like doing laundry. It takes a little oomph to get started but once you do it feels good and once you’re done it feels incredible. However, while I’m brushing my teeth I’m usually thinking about something else.

And without even realizing it, I start brushing my teeth really hard. Not good for my teeth and gums! My natural tendency is to scrub harder without even thinking about it.

That’s where the exercise comes into play.

So I have to consciously pay attention while I’m brushing to ensure I don’t brush too hard. It’s quite challenging. I really try to stay in the moment and not think about anything but my teeth.

If I don’t, I come back to my teeth and realize I’m brushing too hard.

Meditation is about stilling your mind and controlling your thoughts. It’s about having discipline with where you let your mind wander. I’ve never meditated before but I can imagine it being a very powerful skill. The ability to control your thoughts and stop them immediately and refocus on just your breathing.

That’s really hard!

Start small.

Start with just paying attention to something, anything, for the entire time you’re doing it. Whether it’s cooking, cleaning, brushing your teeth, eating, etc.

As soon as you find yourself wandering…quick…get back to what it is you’re doing. And think only about that.

I think, thinking only about what you’re doing in the moment will help you in more ways than one.