The pursuit of success often leads us into a trap of overexertion, believing that pushing harder guarantees a better future. Yet, this relentless push can create a destructive loop, leaving us emotionally drained and questioning its impact on our well-being.

For many it’s a cycle: increased pressure triggers stress, elevating levels of cortisol, the notorious stress hormone¹. The more we push, the higher the stress and the more cortisol floods our system. This ongoing stress dance manifests in irritability, sleepless nights, unexpected weight gain, and mental fog. It’s a scenario familiar to many, where stress compounds stress, making it feel like an inescapable maze. 

To Regain Any Sense of Control or Well-Being We Must Slow Down. 

Studies have shown that when thoughts run amok in unfocused minds- a state lovingly referred to as “mind chatter”, or by Buddhists as “monkey mind”, unhappiness follows. Whereas those practiced at focusing their minds, either by deep focused tasks, meditative practice, or mindfulness tend to be happier². 

You’ve probably heard of mindfulness before, but did you know it can ease a panic attack? It can also completely change your mood, boost serotonin, increase sexual arousal, and a whole host of positive things we should all get to enjoy, and SAVOR in life.

Here’s a simple example of how doing something mindfully can slow you down and bring you to the present. When it does, your awareness of the rich information your senses pick up becomes the forefront of your experience, and you get a well-deserved break from our monkey mind “friend”. As you bask in the sensual experience see if you notice your posture relaxing, your breathing deepening, and a sense of calm starting to emerge. Got 3 minutes? Let’s give it a try:

Experience a Strawberry

Start with a ripe, red strawberry. Hold it gently in the palm of your hand, feeling the slightly cool surface on your fingertips. Take a moment to appreciate the vivid color, the way the light shines on its skin and seeds.

Bring the strawberry close to your nose, inhaling deeply. Notice the sweet, fragrant scent that wafts in towards you. Let the aroma fill your senses, awakening anticipation for the flavors to come. Did your mouth just water? Let that realization soak in a second. Breathe it in again.

Run your fingers over the nubby texture of the strawberry’s skin. Feel the tiny seeds beneath your touch, the surface, a tactile landscape of tiny bumps and crevices.

Now, with leisured intention, bring the strawberry to your lips and feel how different your lips experience its texture. Finally, put the berry in your mouth, but before taking a bite, observe the sensations your tongue feels as it makes contact. Then feel the coolness and the initial resistance of the skin against your teeth.

Take a gentle bite, breaking through the surface. Notice the immediate release of juices, the burst of sweetness rushing your taste buds. The exterior gives way to the plush, tender interior, a secret world of flavor unfolding with each movement.

As you chew, pay attention to the evolving textures. The seeds, once prominent on the outside seem to vanish, folding seamlessly into the juicy blend. The strawberry transforms from a solid to a liquid sensation, the taste becoming a harmonious mix of sweet and tart.

Continue chewing slowly, savoring each moment. Notice how the flavors intensify, and how the texture evolves with each passing moment. The strawberry becomes more than just fruit; it becomes an experience, a celebration of your senses.

As you swallow, be aware of any lingering aftertaste, the echo of the strawberry’s essence. Take a moment to appreciate the experience your senses have just undertaken, from the visual allure to the aromatic delight and the intricate dance of textures and flavors.

What did you notice? Were you able to get through the whole exercise without any monkey mind intrusions? It can take some practice, but the best part is you can do anything mindfully, and for however long you want. You can start small and work your way up. You can breathe, eat, walk, cook, do dishes, grocery shop, even vacuum mindfully! 

The more you practice, the more time you’re living in the present moment. Wouldn’t you rather live there than in your brain that’s worrying about the innumerable “what-ifs” it’s come across in the last 8 hours of the last 8 days with all the contingencies it needs to run, assess, and store in the “files”? The brain’s job is exactly that, but it doesn’t mean we have to listen in as all its “programs” are running. Do you watch your computer run its maintenance every hour of every day? 

If you’re worried you’ll forget something, write it down or make a digital reminder and move the heck on. You don’t need to hear any of that – let the brain do its job SILENTLY while you live happily in your present life. Here and now, today – the only time you have.

Learn more about mindfulness and the power of the present from these excellent reads:

“The Miracle of Mindfulness” by Thich Nhat Hanh

“The Mindful Way Through Depression” by Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal, and Jon Kabat-Zinn

“The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle

¹Young, E. S., Doom, J. R., Farrell, A. K., Carlson, E. A., Englund, M. M., Miller, G. E., Gunnar, M. R., Roisman, G. I., & Simpson, J. A. (2021). Life stress and cortisol reactivity: An exploratory analysis of the effects of stress exposure across life on HPA-axis functioning. Development and Psychopathology, 33(1), 301–312. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579419001779

²Hofmann, S. G., & Gómez, A. F. (2017). Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Anxiety and Depression. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 40(4), 739–749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2017.08.008

READ NEXT:

Or Check out what else there is to read!