A Day of Being
© Jenn Shallvey
How do you be in your day? This is a question I pose instead of what do you do in your day. The results of your day may be the same in terms of what you get done. Yet you are a different person at the end of the day.
A day of being does not mean you ignore responsibility or let everything go. Instead it is a change of conscious awareness that you choose. You empower yourself to be aware of your day whilst in your day. You also integrate your way of being into your day, not copying another. For example the multitasking aspect of one type of work may be quite different than another. Either way being in the multitude of tasks rather than not will make a difference.
When you shift to being in your day you become more aware and conscious of how you are tracking so you can adjust along the way. This is different than just getting through a day, looking forward to the end or something coming up, then repeating the next day until you do not even know what day it is anymore. It is also different than saying you have a to do list of mindfulness practices and that once you tick them off the list you are good.
A day of being is a more mindful approach to everything.
An assumption is that we can do this easily and all will be right. No. it is an aspiration and intent not necessarily a path to success in every moment. Remember we are all being humans learning along the way. Just as there are days when all seems to fall into place and work well there are others that challenge us. Over time if we are accumulating experiences of challenge then it is a sign we need to shift perspective and energy. Likewise we inject a dose of uplift and self confidence when celebrating and acknowledging our what works for us.
There are two steps to this day of being. You can start any day. The steps are shown as a way to be in your world with you as your own guide. In the future if you sense a need to recalibrate and check in again you repeat. Soon you will have many days of being and less of doing.
Step one – observation and noticing
Here the aim is to simply observe and gain insight without changing nor adjusting a day or more. Select an observation period. In the first instance perhaps start with a whole day from the minute you wake up to the moment you drift off to sleep.
Observe. Notice. Record.
In your self-review consider questions that might prompt more insight. You will have your own. Feel free to include some of the following as well. No need to answer all, just the ones that you are drawn to that help. Let your own curiosity and awareness draw your attention to what matters.
What works and does not work for you in your day?
When are you conscious about your actions?
When are you easily lead in other directions?
What takes you out of your self?
What grounds you?
Are there any particular triggers you notice that set you off?
How are you at eating meals and consuming food?
What is your quality of interaction with devices such as phones and computers?
What is your engagement with the world outside?
Do you connect in any way to the natural world?
How are you at shifting between areas of focus?
What are encounters and exchanges with others like?
How do people affect your state?
When do you exercise or move your body?
Internally do you notice self talk that impacts your awareness and being? How?
What spiritual or other similar type of practice is in your day?
What do you notice about your fluctuation of emotions?
At the end of your observation period identify one to three aspects that you want to continue in your days going forward. Then identify three aspects you would like to be more conscious and mindful in how you approach them. Notice this is not an assessment of good nor bad. It is a look at what supports and sustains you and what you can do to focus on shifting your attention. There are likely more insights identified. In the spirit of practicality and avoidance of overwhelm focus on less rather than many.
For example you might discover in your day that you rush through your lunch multitasking not even remembering what you ate. Your adjustment might be to more consciously sit down and enjoy and focus on your meal without distractions.
Likewise you might find that your exercise time is an uplifting experience when you pay attention to your surroundings and immerse yourself in the exercise. You keep doing and consider exploring your environment more.
Step two - consciously be in your day
Instead of just observing now take your awareness to all you think feel do. No judgement or assessment of how. Instead this is the practice of being. The practice of mindfulness applied. Here your aim is to be meta aware. Aware of your awareness. Catch yourself thinking. Feel yourself feeling. Think about your thoughts. Get it. Immerse yourself in your world and experience it in the moment as a succession of moments. Not a whole day anymore.
Imagine it is like having a map of a place you wish to explore. You travel and arrive at the place. When there you experience the place. If you get lost you check back on the map to reorient yourself. Similarly in your day of awareness you set out to achieve your day’s tasks. You may have work to attend to, household chores or family matters. The list is endless.
As if you are checking your to do list you instead come back to check on yourself. How are you in this exact moment? How are you being? Use your tools to re-center and realign yourself in that moment. You might consider the following ideas of practices. They are not things to do. They are ways to be. A distinct difference in how you approach.
Re-centering breath and other related practices.
A full body stretch or other movement to feel your physical presence.
A moment of stillness with your eyes closed.
A mantra related to the task at hand.
Refocusing your attention on what you are doing in the moment not what comes next or later.
Smelling uplifting feel good scents of your world inside and out – spring flowers, cooking, scented candle, soap in the shower.
Using a journal as a way to note your moments of insight.
Describe your experience in the moment right now to yourself.
Listening to sounds that take your attention into the moment.
Focusing on an object for a short period.
Meditating in various ways – sitting, walking, short, long, closed eye, open eye.
Kinaesthetically experiencing your space – touching surfaces, holding an object, just experiencing the details.
Playing with your pet.
Visually scanning and noticing your environment.
Lying on the ground looking up at the sky.
With all these suggestions they are simply ideas to bring you back to the moment. This post is not about going into those in detail.
Ultimately you develop a sense of presence. You eventually do not need to remind yourself to be in the moment of your experience. Instead you just are.
For example you might be cooking a meal and listening to music. In that moment you are present to the sounds, smells, steps of preparation. You focus on each in it’s own time. It is an exercise of awareness and presence.
Maybe you already regularly practice meditation. Perhaps after a day of observation you realise that you do your practice in the morning then forget about it for the rest of the day. Your adjustment might be to find a way to maintain the connection and sense of mindfulness of that practice during your day not just in the mediation.
As you move between step one and two you will find that you are more adaptable when unexpected changes occur in your day. If your routine is shifted due to events beyond your control you still have aspects within your control. This is what makes being your day so powerful and enables you to better handle what comes your way.
There are bound to be hiccups and challenges that no matter what you do throw you off. As stated above and said again we are all being humans. Being human means we are not perfect. So true being is acceptance of our imperfection with the aspiration of being the best we can be in the circumstances.
The step one and step two of being actually are not really separate are they? Your day then becomes an entire day of possibility to experience your world and adjust as needed. Try one thing. Notice what happens. Adjust. Your being is observing in the moment.
Beyond this self review practice immerse yourself further in learning and growing through the examples and teachings of others. Add in ideas and suggestions to the mix as you go along to experiment and evolve more.
No matter what bring yourself back to you in this moment.