Saturday, May 12, 2012

3 Tiny Habits to Enhance My Mindfulness Practice, Two Months Later . . .

Back in March, in the Huffington Post, I reported on 3 tiny habits I had successfully taken on to enhance my mindfulness practice. The post, inspired by an experiment from BJ Fogg's at Stanford University, got some attention. The 3 tiny habits were:
  1. Right after I open my eyes, and before getting out of bed in the morning, I state my intention to be mindful for the day. I appreciate my intention.
  2. Right after I finish getting dressed in the morning, I sit on my meditation chair, and I practice mindfulness for a few seconds. I appreciate myself for making it to the chair.
  3. Right after I turn off the light at night, I do 30 seconds of loving kindness practice, wishing myself and other beings well. I appreciate myself for remembering to practice.
That was five days worth of tiny habits, then. 

Well, I am happy to report that two months later, my 3 tiny habits of mindfulness are going strong. Every morning, as I awake, the word 'mindful' pops up in my mind, automatically just like that. From there, attention goes straight to the breath, taking its rightful place away from 'being lost in thoughts' to 'dwelling in awareness'. Same thing with sitting first thing in the morning. Finishing getting dressed, body knows where to go next, without any need for the mind to make any effort to remember. A new imprint has been created, in the brain. Last, turning off the light at the end of the day, it is time for 'kindness', a smile in the darkness that seals the day with sweetness and makes it easy to drop into sleeping.

Tiny habits, powerful changes in daily mindfulness practice.

7 comments:

  1. I really, really like this. Thank you.

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  2. I was struck by your idea of creating a "a new imprint" in the brain. Those who have lived most of their lives in their busy and uncentered heads- people like me- have created imprints, patterns, habits of being that are not simply washed away by the act of embracing mindfulness. Your "tiny habits" can help us in effect rewire our way of being.

    Thanks again for the important insights.

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  3. Thank you, Thomas. I see 3 Tiny Habits mainly as a great way to practice right effort as it relates to mindfulness. Creating new habits of practice, to counterbalance our habitual ways, and a cultural environment that is not favorable to mindfulness practice.

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    1. Marguerite,

      I've benefited from following your tweets and your amazing blog. Have enjoyed our exchanges. Thanks.

      You can find my work on mindfulness at onlyhereonlynow.com. And of course can follow me on Twitter @onlyhereonlynow.

      Looking forward to keeping the conversation going.

      Kind regards,

      Tom

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  4. Very inspiring! Thank you.

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  5. Wonderful article! Thanks for sharing.

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