Social Distancing 101: Mindfully Doing

Life has certainly slowed down for many people. With a rapidly spreading virus rampant all over the world, we all have been given more time—perhaps more than we bargained for—to spend with our loved ones, learn new skills, or complete tasks we would otherwise be putting off until an eventual tomorrow. But it's also given us more time with our thoughts.

I want to mindful in acknowledging that this isn't the most ideal situation for everyone. There are a lot of people struggling with mental health issues that are only being amplified by all of this time spent in their heads and not out in the world. However, for a lot of people who maybe don't take the time out of their everyday lives to think or reflect, I think this time we've been given can be used to do just that.

Personally, I have a very active mind. I'm constantly thinking—about my next article, the email I haven't replied to yet, or the boy who broke my heart in the seventh grade. Whatever pops into my head, I'll spend sometimes more time than necessary thinking about it. And I don't think that's abnormal. Surely, a lot of us find ourselves spiraling in thought every now and again. But something I don't think about very often is where my food comes from, or how great it is I have shoes to walk on, or how many people desperately need this pandemic to end.

At the sake of sounding like a sappy Facebook hope post that your grandmother's best friend shared on her timeline two hours ago, I've been thinking a lot about mindfulness lately. I guess in such an uncertain time, I've been forced to think about the things that I'm most grateful to still have...and the things that I wish I could have again.

This idea first came to me a couple of weeks ago when I was eating takeout tacos from a cafe I used to frequent. I remember thinking how happy I was to be able to eat these tacos, and how long I might have to wait to eat them again. I made the conscious effort to savor every bite, not wanting to forget that moment of bliss.

I know it sounds kind of ridiculous, but believe it or not, people have these moments of mindfulness all the time—however, it's usually not by choice. Sometimes it's a moment of gratitude at finally finding work. Or maybe it's having a safe place to sleep at night. Or perhaps it's finding the strength to productively engage with the world after a string of days when you couldn't even get out of bed.

I'm not looking to start a trend of hope and gratitude because I know it already exists. And I know it's on a rise right now in an effort to forget the despair knocking on all of our doors. I mostly want to acknowledge the inspiration it brings. And the importance it holds. So much so that I think everyone should practice mindfully doing—at least on occasion. And now is the easiest time to remember and appreciate the things that are going well in our lives, and hope that those things are only going to keep getting better and multiply.

It truly doesn't matter what it is—eating breakfast on your shaded veranda or walking five miles to work the night shift at your second job. Mindfully doing just brings us closer to the physical aspects of the life that we lead and the lives of the people around us. That's what we're all thinking about right now anyway. So let's put it into action.