[2021-02-03] Presence
Inspired by my post Living in the moment, a friend sent me a link to an excellent article: 12 Ideas for Being More Present in Your Life. While all the ideas are useful, the one that stood out for me was the last: get away from the digital world. Blogger Catherine Beard advises:
Spend time away from your phone and computer every day. Read a book, write (not type!), go for a walk, practice yoga, or eat your lunch without an electronic device nearby. Do something daily that doesn’t require a connection to the internet.
I admit that I spend large chunks of my day staring at a screen. When I wake up, I reply to emails and comments on my blog using my phone. After my daily walk and the breakfast dishes, I sit down at my computer to respond to more feedback. Over the course of the day, I use my phone to read articles, track progress related to my health, and take notes. In the afternoon, I spend a few hours on my computer, writing my blog post and preparing the visual. At mealtimes, I play Jeopardy on a tablet with my family. And, in the evening, my husband and I watch Jeopardy on TV. While I spend less time online than I did when working full-time, it's still a lot.
Also in response to Living in the moment, another friend mentioned that puzzles are among the best activities to distract her from focusing on the future or fretting about what she should or could have done. She said that when reading or watching TV, her mind still wanders, but a puzzle occupies her mind and blocks everything else out.
That reminded me of how much I enjoy doing puzzles and how effective they are at calming my mind. So this afternoon, I started a new jigsaw puzzle, a pastime that I had put aside for the last couple of months.
I sometimes think that I could be doing something more productive when I sit down at a puzzle. But my call with Dr. Le yesterday reaffirmed that my number one job right now is recovering. To me, that includes being healthy in body and healthy in mind. And doing a puzzle is part of having a healthy mind—it's the closest I get to meditation. I slow down. I take a break from screens. And I stop thinking about anything beyond where the next piece goes.
In her blog post, Beard makes several other recommendations that I like. For example, she suggests that readers celebrate the tiny joys:
Whether it’s finding an extra dollar in your purse, bumping into [a] friend, or getting to sleep in, celebrate the tiny joys as much as the big ones.
My favourite such joy today was having a chickadee flit closer and closer to me while on our walk. The little chickadee was so tame and seemed to be chirping, "Do you have seeds for me?"
Beard also counsels readers to be okay with not knowing all the answers:
Part of the reason we get so caught up in future worries is because we want all of the answers to our problems immediately.
This is an especially important one for me. Cancer is unpredictable. It's not like breaking your leg, having the doctor fix you up and then being pronounced as good as new. As a cancer patient, I will never have all the answers. And that's OK. Patience truly is a virtue.
I also like Beard's suggestion to reflect on your day:
Whether by journaling, writing a list of things you’re grateful for, or telling a loved one, it’s important to reflect on a few things that went well during your day. This encourages you to think positively (even if it was ultimately a terrible day), and it can help prevent the days from blurring into one another.
This is what I do almost every day through this blog. While sometimes I sit down with a specific topic in mind or a theme that I want to explore, many times I have no idea what will come to mind and emanate from my fingertips. Some of my best posts have resulted from my simply reflecting on my day. Through my daily writing practice, I have rediscovered an activity that has always helped me to make sense of my world and to look on the bright side of life.
I'll leave you with one final tiny joy. As I wrote this post, I listened to the Calming Classical playlist on Spotify. Simply exquisite.
