Mindfulness Matters

By Bethany “BST2” Armstrong

“There are two ways to wash the dishes. The first is to wash the dishes in order to have clean dishes and the second is to wash the dishes to wash the dishes.” Thich Nhat Hanh

When we are doing our basic mundane tasks and unpleasant chores, typically we seek to distract ourselves. Sometimes these distractions are thoughts of the future or memories of the past. Sometimes it is to-do lists or daydreams. Sometimes its music to drown out the roar of the vacuum and ease the monotony. It is a useful coping strategy, but like all coping strategies it should not be used all of the time. Mindfulness is just as – if not more – important.

To live is to experience. If you distracted while washing the dishes, you’ll miss the glide of warm water over your fingers, the soft bubbles popping against the rim of a plate, the round, gentle curve of a cereal bowl. If you are daydreaming while walking to your car, you’ll miss the breeze tickling the daffodils, the transparent rainbow forming behind the plush, pillowy clouds, the give of the ground beneath your feet. If your mind is in the past or the future, you will miss the present.

Mindfulness does not come easy in a world filled with diversions. It’s best to start simply and use a word or phrase to keep your focus. I started with washing my hands. I paid close attention to the temperature of the water and how it felt to slide my slick hands together. If I noticed myself drifting, I’d use the phrase “be aware.”

The word aware reminds me that it’s not just my body that I’m experiencing, it’s my environment and emotions as well. The word be reminds me that I’m actively choosing to exist in this moment. I find myself employing my phrase when I’m disassociating in Chicago traffic or feeling my emotions start to overwhelm me.

This reality is an amazing thing we’ve been given. It would be a shame not to experience it fully, even if we’re just washing the dishes.

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