Awareness: Key to a Successful Life?

Diane Birch, Executive Director of BITA, talks about how awareness of the world around you can have a lasting effect

Despite what circumstances swirl around me, I have always found myself drawn to the ideals of mindfulness. This has served me very well, not only for the last three months of isolation, but for my journey as a whole.

Mindfulness now almost seems like a marketing ploy, bestseller lists are filled with ‘mindful colouring in’, and candles that purportedly help with mindfulness seem to be more expensive than those that don’t! True mindfulness shouldn’t cost anything except time, and the gains won’t be in things cluttering up your home, but a greater understanding of yourself, and an appreciation of what you have.

What does it really mean?

When I talk about mindfulness, what I really mean is awareness. Awareness of the world around you, of your body and its needs, of those you share your life with, and what you need to feed your mind.

Mindfulness can help with every facet of your life, from curbing over-eating, to appreciating time with the family and to learning new skills. Instead of ‘going through the motions’, mindfulness trains our brains to be truly present in each moment, and to experience it fully.

People who enjoy a meal at a table, being aware of what they are eating, eat less food than those that robotically eat in front of a TV; something that we’re all guilty of from time to time! Being present when spending time with family and friends, means paying attention, not looking at a phone or daydreaming. ‘Active listening’ is a skill that can be learned by anyone, and it basically means paying attention to the person you are with - just politeness really!

Mindfulness is about helping you, for you – not for others. While some people might be talking about ‘learning to be the best boss’ or influencing people, mindfulness is for its own sake – not profit or power. Its purpose is to make people more content, and to battle the rising tides of cortisol levels across the nation.

It’s also about encouraging the same compassion that we feel for others, for yourself. There are many times that I have felt empathy and given time to help someone in difficult or challenging situations, even though if I was in the same position, I would push myself beyond reason to deal with it unsympathetically.

The compassion that I feel when looking at another is of course the right reaction. Learning to be forgiving and understanding to myself was a challenge, and one I still struggle with sometimes, however ‘do unto others’ cuts both ways.

Another lesson I’ve learned is that there is nothing wrong with avoiding stressful situations, we don’t need to tackle everything that makes us feel anxious and stressed because we’re told that it’s the ‘adult’ thing to do.

I have a friend that gets so anxious and stressed looking at social media, that she deleted all her apps. Another went through and vigorously checked who she was following so she only saw good news stories. Why put yourself in a constant stressful situation, just because it’s habit to do so? We need to be present, aware of what makes us uncomfortable, as well as what we enjoy, and actively curate our lives to provide the best environment to be happy.

For those of you who manage staff, it may be interesting to note that aside from personal gains, mindfulness does have a multitude of benefits for organisations as well! It can increase teamwork, help people focus, help manage interpersonal relationships, and fewer sick days. It can also increase your team’s creativity! For those stuck-on autopilot, breaking out of this routine and truly being present in the moment can lead to many exciting ‘ah-ha!’ moments.