Sunday, January 22, 2017

A520.2.3.RB - 10 Minutes a Day


First off this was by far one of the best homework assignments I think I have ever had assigned.  When I told my wife and co-workers about it they did not believe me.  When it comes to spending 10 minutes a day doing nothing this to me is your time to re-charge and re-focus.  We spend a majority of every day in a very fast paced and hectic environment.  Even if we think we have a good work and home balance chances are we live minute to minute.  For me a good example of this would be that I do feel like I have a pretty good balance however, when I am home spending time with the family it tends to be go, go, and go mentality.  This is especially true during the work week when school is in session.  For instance I normally work a pretty straight 8 to 4:30.  However, after work three nights a week my daughter has dance so we are running there, then my wife has work appointments so she is running there, then there are nights when my wife has a class she attends so I have to go to the school and day care to pick up my kids.  After all this we have to get home and get homework done, we have to make dinner and sit down to eat.  Then we try to do some family time either playing a game or just hanging around talking about our day.  Next we have to get ready for bed and get the kids to bed to wake up and do it all over again.  Before my wife and I can go to bed however, I have school work and she has notes and reports that she needs to work on for her job. 

After watching the Andy Puddicombe video for this assignment I can see what he is aiming for by taking the ten minutes a day (2012).  I enjoyed how he made jokes about incense and sitting on the floor cross legged humming.  He references the fact that he is a monk and how he learned how to be more mindful and peaceful.  For me this exercise was interesting and beneficial however, this is not something I think I will be continuing.  For me it was the aspect of nothing that I did not like.  Now I understand the point of the 10 minutes of nothing is so you can decompress and not have the hundreds of things that you deal with daily to be bothering you.  I am a firm believer in what “me time” however, I like to use this time to do things that I enjoy doing.  I would much rather spend my time even if it is just ten minutes reading a leisure book.  I also like to consider my time at the gym just as beneficial to me as the 10 minutes Puddicombe suggests.  I am an the kind of person who wakes up early while my wife and kids are still sleeping and use this time to read and relax.  Additionally when I go to the gym I do not carry my phone with me while working out.  Same if I am out going for a run.  I still have an old school iPod original with plenty of music and movies to occupy my time.  I consider this time my off the grid time.  I do not worry about work and also do not like to talk to people either.  Whether running or on the treadmill or in the weight room I keep to myself and focus on my time while focusing on my mindfulness and well-being.  

I did encourage others who I work with to take part in this exercise with me.  The response was not very receptive of those I work with.  I was meet with several people who claimed that would be a waste of time and that they have better things to do with their time.  Even after I let them know of some of the benefits associated with exercise I was met with resistance. 

I also agree with Puddicombe’s advice to live in the present.  This is one area were many people struggle.   By trying to focus on the here and now and thinking of things you could have, should have done and just focusing on doing the things you need to do now.  While impossible to completely negate your thoughts of the past and future being able control these thoughts and focus on living in the present moment can help you in becoming more mindful and having a better well-being.

 
Puddicombe, A. (2012) All it takes is 10 mindful minutes.  retrieved from:
https://erau.instructure.com/courses/57520/assignments/905637

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