Most people have a lot of memories of the past and anxious thoughts about the future, and this is completely normal. But sometimes memories and anxieties literally fill the entire consciousness of a person, preventing him from enjoying today. To combat this problem, you need to develop the skill of mindfulness.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is one of the most popular concepts in 21st century psychology. It is a process of purposefully focusing on the present moment, without being influenced by disturbing thoughts about the past and future.
The most complete theory of the phenomenon of mindfulness is offered to us by Gestalt psychology. The Gestalt psychologist seeks to develop precisely the skill of conscious involvement in action, a continuous stream of concentration for every moment. The client needs to understand that a thought is only a thought, not a reality, and in this he will be helped by an adequate analysis of the situation and the construction of a model of behavior that is most suitable for it.
What is the skill of mindfulness for?
Obsessing over old problems, we only banish in our psyche the ways of thinking and acting that have already led once to undesirable consequences. Being stuck on a problem does not solve it, but only makes us grieve and once again follow the same path. Of course, it is necessary to remember and analyze past mistakes, but they should not be a heavy boulder pulling us down. They should guide and show the way in real life.
This does not mean that by developing the skill of mindfulness, you will not experience any negative emotions. No, it means that you will be aware of why they have arisen and how to prevent it in the future. A person who consciously walks along his life path is able to effectively find a connection between actions and their results. This allows you to get out of the vicious circle of mistakes.
Anxiety about the future also interferes with personal growth. Thoughts about the possibility of an unfavorable outcome sometimes scare a person so much that he refuses to do anything at all. However, it is important to remember one very important rule: if you make an attempt to change your life, the chance of success and the chance of failure will be equal. If you don’t do anything, there’s only a chance of failure.
Thus, it is important not to dwell on the past and the future, to develop the skill of awareness and concentration on the present. This skill will help you not to waste time on empty reflections and experiences, and will also allow you to live not "automatically", but by living every moment in its entirety.
