Staying Present with a Simple Technique
The concept of time is warped - Sometimes a minute lasts almost an hour, whereas, other times, an entire day could be gone in a jiffy. It helps to stay mindful, especially in this age of attention-grab and constant distractions.
There are many known methods to stay mindful - by actively engaging in physical activities, taking a moment to slow down and breathe, by engaging parts of your body that you don't normally pay attention to, by various other breathing exercises, and so on.
A couple of days ago, I came across a method unknown to me to re-engage with oneself. I guess that it is not a new method, but it worked wonders for me. It's quite simple. All you need is a stopwatch (just a watch or an alarm on your phone would also work), and 5 minutes of your time.
The process is simple -
- Set your stopwatch or alarm to 1 minute (one, so that you can do it without overthinking).
- Close your eyes and open them when you think 30 seconds have passed.
You are required to do two iterations of this exercise:
- First one without counting seconds in your head. Just think of something else if you are unable to stop counting.
- Second one while counting thirty seconds in your head.
How does this work though?
If you open your eyes before 30 seconds, you are probably anxious / nervous and in a rush.
If you open your eyes within 2 seconds of the 30-seconds mark, you are most probably in-line with the present.
If you open your eyes beyond 30-seconds mark, you are distracted or disoriented, and need to bring yourself to present.
Simple, right?
I was at 45 seconds mark without counting and around 37 seconds with counting when I tried it the first time. It has, since, improved for me because I am actively trying to stay present. This has been immensely helpful for me. I hope you find it equally worthwhile.
Do share your times for the first tries with me. Always fun to do these activities together. 😸
