The hang of it

 

More than 2 months ago, I bought a “mindfulness” journal on a whim at a Marshalls checkout. You know how those checkout queues are set up so that you have to pass between shelves of knick knacks so that if there’s a lineup, you end up browsing the knick-knacks on sale?  I’m sure there was some extensive market research that provided retail companies with evidence that a mini-maze of goods leading to the checkout triggers an impulse-buying tendency among consumers. Now that I’ve reflected about this, wow, yes…the drugstore, supermarket, bookstore, cosmetics retailers…a mini-maze of knick-knacks on shelves to get to the checkout! We are all so programmable. So predictable. So easily influenced.

Anyway, going back to that pink journal I now have. I don’t feel guilty at all about purchasing it. It’s great. I haven’t been writing on it daily, but  on the days that I have written on it I’ve truly felt mindful. It has repeating questions that are meant for very quick morning, midday, and evening check-ins. Each of those three parts includes 3 deep breaths. It’s great (I’ve stated that already). Plus, I can exercise my finger muscles to write. I’ve been typing on a keyboard for work or have been using my thumbs to text or write on my mobile device. I occasionally use a pencil if I need to jot something, but I feel that I need to practice my penmanship using a ballpoint or sign pen. I still have that spiritual reflection journal that I wrote about many posts ago, but I haven’t found the time (or mood) to write regularly on it. This pink mindfulness one is more accessible right now. I suppose it’s because it’s structured. I sometimes write similar things, but I don’t have to think too hard about what to write. It simply prompts me to focus on the present and my body. And my body hasn’t been feeling that fantastic lately. My meals aren’t as substantial. My physical activity could be, well, more active. Essentially, it’s my brain that’s been labouring like a slave working on building a pyramid in ancient Egypt. Lots of caffeine and sandwiches and fizzy water. A little movement by going up and down the stairs. I tried to sweep the floor and my lower back hurts. 

On a positive note, when I have mini episodes of overthinking leading towards anxiety, I ask myself (as a strategy that I was recently taught) “am I in any danger?” I know that the answer is “no” and so I remember to smile and rub my chest to self-soothe. And then I go on and watch some reviews of fragrances or lipsticks on the interwebs. We’ve come full circle. Mindfulness to capitalism to mindfulness and back to capitalism. So, not really a circle but more like a…square? Talking about 2-dimensional polygons and connecting it to mindfulness again, how about I wrap this up by suggesting that you check out “box breathing.” Do it for yourself, my friend.