Mindfulness (much like Oils) is the new Black.
Definition: the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.

In practice that means being present in any given moment, giving your full attention to one person, object, activity or thought at a time (without judgement), in order to focus your mind one thing at a time. When we achieve that, we slow our mind (& often breath) down, consequently inducing a ‘relaxation response’ and a sense of calm and potentially greater pleasure.

Someone asked me recently what does being mindful look like in my home and Friday I lived the perfect day to help me answer that now.

Situation: I realised in the morning that Wee Bear’s passport had expired and I had only that day to get the renewal application in or she would miss her OS holiday this weekend.


Fridays are the only day I try to protect from work tasks and this year I am calling them “me days”. I had my ducks more or less neatly in a row to fill up my own ‘cup’ this week and then this happened – not happy! 

With a consistent air of consciousness throughout the day however, I witnessed myself not only pull it off, but I remained reasonably in control of my mood, avoided too much drama and still enjoyed a lot of the afternoon and evening with my little person who helped me finish the “great Race” in time for her school event that evening. 

How did mindfulness help?
  •  I MINDFULLY recognised my physical signs of anxiety (due to time pressure) and cleared the original plans for the day ahead.
  •  I MINDFULLY prioritised tasks and focussed on one step at a time, rather then being reactive and waisting time.
  • With MINDFULNESS of thoughts, I witnessed my ego trying to blame and complicate the cause of stress e.g. If they…,  than I wouldn’t….. you know the regular defensive reactions to shame and guilt that were only going to increase my level of anxiety and stress.
  • I Stopped. I physically laid down at one point when the overwhelm of the potential consequence and the frustration of the all consuming task was too great to MINDFULLY gain perspective and clear my thoughts.
  • With a MINDFUL mindset I was able to ignore the house mess, dishes or any tasks (that I had planned to be doing), but that didn’t need to be completed immediately, which elevated unconscious additional pressure.
  • Once I had a plan and tasks under control I went for a quick jog and took a bath. ‘Me Day’ became ‘Me hour’ and I enjoyed every minute and then I was able to let go and turn the afternoon into a MINDFULLY fun, 1st world problem solving adventure.
  • With MINDFUL habits I didn’t expend too much energy via my stress and anxiety response, and we were able to relax into a delightful evening as previously planned.
So, sometimes it’s about a mindful meditation practice but for me it’s also a mindful consciousness of thoughts, mindset and physical presence that I attempt to maintain as often as I can, to be able to keep perspective and enjoy each of life’s adventures one  moment at a time!