We are publishing an exercise from the book Emotional Balance that will help you calibrate your sense of time to live in the present moment - the only moment in which we can truly live.
Not in the present moment
We often do not pay attention to what is happening around us. We do not pay attention to what people say, to what we read. We don't even pay attention to who is around us when we go somewhere. And, to further exacerbate the problem, we often try to do several things at the same time - driving, eating, texting, talking on the phone.
As a result, we miss out on much of what life has to offer and often make simple situations difficult. But, even worse, if you don't live in the present moment, then life can become even more painful. For example, you might expect the person you are talking to to say something offensive that will make you angry - even though that person hasn't said anything yet!
Or maybe just thinking about past events makes you feel physically or emotionally elated, which prevents you from doing what you are currently trying to do.
Obviously, both types of time travel can make any event unnecessarily painful.
Focus on a single minute
This exercise will help you focus more fully on the moment. It is not difficult to do, but it can often be overwhelming. Its purpose is to help you become more fully aware of your own sense of time.
To complete this exercise, you will need a watch with an additional hand or a stopwatch on your smartphone. In order to do this exercise, find a comfortable place - a room in which you will not be disturbed for several minutes, and turn off any sounds that may distract you.
Start timing with a clock or stopwatch. Then, apart from the seconds and not looking at the clock, just sit. When you think that one minute has passed, check the clock again or stop the timer. Note how much time has actually passed.
Did you stop the timer before the minute runs out? If so, how much time has passed: a few seconds, twenty, thirty? If it wasn't a full minute, think about how this affects you. Are you always in a hurry to do something because you feel like you are running out of time? If so, how do you interpret the result of this exercise?
Or has it been more than a minute? If so, how long: one and a half, two minutes? If so, think about how this affects you. Are you often late for appointments because you think you have more time than you really do? If so, how do you interpret the result of this exercise?
Whatever the outcome, one of the goals of mastering mindfulness skills is to help you develop attention to momentary experiences, including your perception of time.
Based on the book "Emotional Balance".
Not in the present moment
We often do not pay attention to what is happening around us. We do not pay attention to what people say, to what we read. We don't even pay attention to who is around us when we go somewhere. And, to further exacerbate the problem, we often try to do several things at the same time - driving, eating, texting, talking on the phone.
As a result, we miss out on much of what life has to offer and often make simple situations difficult. But, even worse, if you don't live in the present moment, then life can become even more painful. For example, you might expect the person you are talking to to say something offensive that will make you angry - even though that person hasn't said anything yet!
Or maybe just thinking about past events makes you feel physically or emotionally elated, which prevents you from doing what you are currently trying to do.
Obviously, both types of time travel can make any event unnecessarily painful.
Focus on a single minute
This exercise will help you focus more fully on the moment. It is not difficult to do, but it can often be overwhelming. Its purpose is to help you become more fully aware of your own sense of time.
To complete this exercise, you will need a watch with an additional hand or a stopwatch on your smartphone. In order to do this exercise, find a comfortable place - a room in which you will not be disturbed for several minutes, and turn off any sounds that may distract you.
Start timing with a clock or stopwatch. Then, apart from the seconds and not looking at the clock, just sit. When you think that one minute has passed, check the clock again or stop the timer. Note how much time has actually passed.
Did you stop the timer before the minute runs out? If so, how much time has passed: a few seconds, twenty, thirty? If it wasn't a full minute, think about how this affects you. Are you always in a hurry to do something because you feel like you are running out of time? If so, how do you interpret the result of this exercise?
Or has it been more than a minute? If so, how long: one and a half, two minutes? If so, think about how this affects you. Are you often late for appointments because you think you have more time than you really do? If so, how do you interpret the result of this exercise?
Whatever the outcome, one of the goals of mastering mindfulness skills is to help you develop attention to momentary experiences, including your perception of time.
Based on the book "Emotional Balance".
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