My New Habit for Cultivating Mindfulness in 2022
I don’t know about you, but 2022 has been a ride. Well, more like a fun house. I can’t predict what’s around the corner at all. There has definitely been plenty of the collective anxiety and ambiguity. For me personally, there has also been a lot of wild surprises that I couldn’t have imagined; Even if I was in a creative writing class with instructions asking, “Write an essay that includes COVID, family sickness, run-ins with the law/government, and loss of work.” I don’t say this to fish for pity. I bring it up because it’s quite comical. I refer to it as a Harold Pinter play (A British playwright brilliant at absurdism). My first month of 2022 couldn’t have been written in the most absurd absurdist play.
The surprises haven’t all been negative. I’ve been reconnecting with people I haven’t chatted to since the pandemic began. Romance is at a level in my life that I haven’t seen in ten years. My collaboration work is really taking off. Great new projects are emerging and new creative partnerships are popping up. Most importantly, my feet are planted securely and I am in a terrific mental state for whatever the future is bringing.
I’ve been working hard on my mental health and loving myself the way my loved ones do for the last two years. These current obstacles would have ruined me in years past. I’m grateful to have worked the muscles and acquired the tools necessary to move through this moment. It’s a much better plan of action opposed to avoiding/ignoring them like I would have in my twenties (Yeah, will go with twenties). In response to the happenings so far this year, I’ve added a new habit to my daily routine. I thought I’d share it in case it was of interest to anyone else.
I bought a small notebook to keep in my nightstand. Every night, when I reach the point in my routine when I crawl into bed, before I open my book (Or laptop to watch something. Let’s be honest. It isn’t always the book.), I pull out the notebook and answer the following questions:
1) Was I authentic today? If not, what is a moment that I wasn’t?
2) Was I genuine today? If not, what is a moment that I wasn’t?
3) Did I show up as the person I want to show up as? If not, what is a moment I did not?
I don’t write much. I just list one moment. I believe there is a lot of power in identifying something and naming it. We don’t always have to declare how we should have acted differently. (Should is a horrible word. My friend Damon L. Jacobs has a great book about it. Absolutely Should-Less.) Just calling the incident out has power. Most of the time, the moment is circumstantial, and you’ve already thought about it during the day. God/the Universe is going to bite you in the ass quickly if it was too negatively impactful. Like, when you talk to your mother in a very direct angry manner and she follows your rant with, “I just brought your grandma to the hospital because she has COVID.” You’re going to feel like shit right then. There is no need to rehash it at bedtime. Grandma is healthy now.
I like this new habit for two reasons. The first is that it helps me be more present. Present to the entire day while also working the muscle that allows me to be present in difficult moments to come.
The second reason is it provides a way to physical release any lingering feelings that could interrupt my sleep. Sometimes I make a list to release it all. So far, this new habit is helping tremendously and has replaced the “dump list”.
As everything, take what serves you from this short piece and leave what doesn’t. 2022 has so much potential. My wish is that everyone has more bright moments than dark moments. Dark and difficult things will still happen. The power is in how we react to them, stay present during them, and ensure we do our best to not let them effect the rest of our lives.
