MINDFULNESS MATTERS: The “Being Busy” Mindset
by Cynthia Runge
The importance of prioritizing time for yourself and the benefits of fitting in meditation, yoga or other mindfulness practices into your life.
I, like many of my colleagues and clients, have very active personal and professional lives. With everything that is happening at any given moment, it can seem impossible to take time for self, particularly for those whose life is in-the-midst of significant change such a divorce. As a family law practitioner, I am aware that urgent matters can arise at unpredictable times. So, it can be a challenge to stay connected to a self-care practice with looming deadlines.
During the pandemic, even though I worried about the time commitment, I decided to take two mindfulness courses through Brown University. In addition to helping me commit to a more regular meditation practice, which has helped me reframe how I think about time, I was struck by a comment one of the instructors made during a class. The group was discussing reasons we struggled to find time for our own practice. Many of us said that when faced with lack of time to get everything done, we would take care of everyone else first and leave ourselves last, if there was time. This approach often led to folks feeling exhausted and irritated. In response, the instructor asked us, “Whose life is it?” In other words, instead of feeling as though we are a slave to our schedule/powerless over the roles we voluntarily took on, the instructor offered us another lens to look through when thinking about our available time. Each of us has only one life. Each of us should have a say in how we spend our time, not let someone else dictate it for us. Each of us has a finite amount of time, which is unknown to us. It is important to be present for life now, no matter what is happening, because good and bad things can happen at the same time. Life is imperfect, precious and a gift. We all go through difficult times in life. Sometimes the difficult experiences help to change us for the better and help us grow in directions we never contemplated. One of the reasons I love working in family law is because it allows me to help others move toward a chance to live a better life.
Although it may seem counter-intuitive to insert yourself into a schedule with an already full plate, I have found that by doing so, I have increased energy, a better attitude and sharper perspective than when I focused solely on everything and everyone else. So, the next time you are feeling as though there is no time for your meditation, yoga practice, or even a short walk, remember the old adage that if you keep doing the same thing, you will continue to get the same result.
This article appeared in our Fall 2021 Newsletter.
