Mindful February 2022

Lately, I’ve been practicing what I call “active non-doing.” It’s a liminal way of being where I observe the things I’m “supposed” to do—as a mother, a wife, the caretaker of my dying father, a manager, an editor, a friend, a homemaker, even a musician. I notice all the deeply ingrained ways I believe I’m supposed to show up. And rather than immediately acting on my inclinations, I’ve been just not doing anything for a little while and seeing what happens. This practice doesn’t come naturally to me. By nature, I’m a doer. For me, the pull to act is a whole-body sensation: tension in my chest, flush cheeks, hot hands, as well as a rush to judgment and immeditate problem-solving. My whole being doesn’t just scream “do something”; it…

Has your outlook on life changed in the last couple of years? Sometimes I think about change as it relates to habit. Experiencing change keeps me present and awake. Habit is like a lullaby that puts me to sleep. Practicing mindfulness helps me to stay present and experience whatever change is happening in the moment, without the urge to push it away or hold on too tight. debbienutleyauthor Definitely. Small joys mean so much more. libbies.images I notice that each time I’m going through a challenging life moment, a new book or creative project is born. Tapping into my creativity and imagination brings a joy that helps me know I’ll be OK. _michelefoote How does change make you feel? ANXIOUS 67% IT DEPENDS 8% EXCITED 25% What helps you manage…

SIT A WHILE It may take 21 days to adopt a new habit but a group in Minneapolis is looking to do more than that—they’re looking to create change. Community members in a Minneapolis neighborhood got together last spring to “interrupt violence” in the area by opening up lawn chairs and taking a seat in one of the most dangerous spots in the neighborhood, with “intentional activations of prayer, persistence and presence” as their Facebook page notes, in what they call the 21 Days of Peace project. In an op-ed in The Washington Post, two of the group’s members write: “The people sitting on these corners in chairs are members of the community. We know our young people, and they know us.” As the project continues past the original 21…

LABOR OF LOVE The Heighton family of six, plus three pets, lost their home when their rental house in the small town of Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, was sold. Due to the area’s housing crisis, the family couldn’t find affordable housing so local people and businesses donated time, labor, and money to build the family a home before the weather got cold. HEART OF GOLD Tijana Kawashima Stojkovic, a volunteer at the Tokyo Olympics paid for a taxi to help track athlete Hansle Parchment get to his event after he took the wrong bus. After Hansle won gold, he thanked Stojkovic in his speech, reconnected with her to repay her, and the Jamaican Minister of Tourism invited Tijana to Jamaica as a gesture of thanks for her generosity. PLAY TOGETHER High…

EASING TEEN ANGST Can mindfulness help teens to ruminate less? Led by researchers at Harvard Medical School, a new study tested whether 80 adolescents would use and benefit from a smartphone-based mindfulness app. Teens were asked to complete surveys on their mental health, including tendency to ruminate. Those who noted a moderate tendency were provided a mindfulness phone app and taught how to use it. For three weeks, they received random reminders to engage with the app based on their availability, and had a greater likelihood of being asked to complete an exercise if they reported a worse mood on the initial survey. Mindfulness instruction lasted 1—12 minutes, and included focused attention on the breath, sounds, or bodily sensations. After each session, teens rated their level of rumination and emotional…

Q Sometimes I’m just too tired to run through my self-care things and I know it’s a bad cycle, but I work as a nurse and some days, I just can’t do it. Self-care can feel like a burden. We can get lost in the gap between where we are and where we think we should be. So, when you’re too tired for self-care, try the three-minute breathing space. A First, check in with where you are, what is here for you right now in thoughts, emotions, the body. Just get to know your current experience, wanted or unwanted. Then narrow your attention to the sensation of breathing, the rising and falling of the abdomen with each in-breath and out-breath. And finally, widen your attention to the entire body around…