Regular mindfulness practice invites us to pay attention to the present moment instead of being hijacked by unhelpful thoughts, including a sense of overwhelm. By doing this, we create mental stability to function effectively.
Flooding our senses
It can feel like it is taking forever to complete your work when you are easily distracted from your task at hand. It appears insurmountable when juggling multiple deadlines; some may even feel like giving up. The same goes for someone anxious; she feel incapacitated from thoughts about failing, even before starting the task! The amount of information feeding into brain simultaneously can be overwhelming. If those data are unknown, unfamiliar or unexpected, it can trigger panic and fear.
Building mental resilience
Mindfulness training strengthens our mental capability to cope under pressure. Through techniques of concentration and awareness, we help the Reticular Activating System (RAS) or Reticular Formation focus on the important brain signals. Located at the base of our brain, one of its roles is to act as filter. Sensory signals from all over our body are continuously being sent to the brain. If the RAS does not perform its role properly, can you imagine the data flooding into our brain? Now imagine that’s how a person who is overstimulated or distracted feels.
While blocking out repetitive, meaningless stimuli (such as the sense of touch from your chair), the RAS lets through signals requiring attention. Think about a past reaction when startled by a sudden loud noise or being pricked by something sharp. The intent is to get you out of harm’s way.
With a strengthened mental capacity, we can attend to the right signals calmly and come up with solutions. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and fretting over multiple deadlines, we can sensibly list all outstanding projects and prioritise (or even seek help). We can prepare for eventualities by coming up with possible solutions. Mindfulness training helps to create a sense of flow.
Next steps: Seek out a mindfulness teacher if you wish to get started. Experience first-hand by attending a public class, arrange for a private session, or plan for a corporate workshop.
