Mind Time Introduction

WE'RE STARTING WITH MIND-TIME, WHICH WILL BE THE THEME FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS. This is about getting more out of the best bits of our lives, past, present, and future. We’re working with attention and intention in this one. o Consider that on average, 49% of our time is spent mind-wandering… the main problem with this is not that the mind has the ability to take us to different times and places but that a good chunk of that mind-wandering can tend to be focussed on the negative. That’s something we can work with… o Findings show that being dynamic in shifting our minds between the past, present and future is a factor in wellbeing. The more flexible we are at doing this the better. Also, the better we are at nudging ourselves to take different perspectives, which includes moving from a negative or anxious view-point to a more helpful one, the higher our wellbeing. Some of us have a tendency to look back a lot (doing that negatively is associated with depression), others are caught in the future whilst others are so caught in moment-to-moment stimulation that they don’t gain much from what’s gone before or gain much from optimism or hope about the future. The more flexible you are at shifting between past, present and future, as needed, the better it is for your wellbeing. It helps you switch out of rumination on the past whilst being able to think positively of good times that have gone before, it enables you to zoom-out of an uncomfortable moment in the present whilst also being able to be fully present when you want to be; it also means you can get excited and hopeful about the future and set your sights on moving towards things that matter to you. We talk about what we spend our time on, listing things we did with our day but overlook where our mind spent its time and how this shaped how much we enjoyed our day. o Ultimately, there are great bits of life past and present that we could get more enjoyment from… I’m sharing practices around how to make positive present moments last longer, how to gain more from our past positive experiences and also how to develop an ability to nudge your mind a little better. 1. Savouring: A practice using our attention and senses to get more from the good bits in life to enhance positive emotions. A practice to help you keep your minds more in the present moment – something that many in the western world struggle with. 2. Positive Reminiscence: Reflecting on positive experiences of the past to help bring about positive emotions, enhance our sense of calm whilst also increasing our sense of hope for the future. The ability to think positively about the past is highly associated with wellbeing. This one can also be used as a good ‘mood-regulator’ – meaning it’s a practice you can do to literally help shift your emotions. 3. Mindfulness: This is simply about cultivating an ability to be more ‘mindful’… It’s not about ‘not thinking’ but just being aware of your thoughts coming and going and kindly just nudging your mind back. I find the headspace and calm apps great. It’s not about asking you to ‘be positive’ all of the time but just to give yourself an opportunity to actually notice, enjoy, benefit from and bounce off the good bits in life.