The past month or so has been a blast, I don’t want to believe it’s May…. almost half the year is gone. Another part of me does want to believe that we are halfway through the year, not even six months in yet and most people I talk to are already wanting the new year to start.

This idea that our minds work, work, work, to please the tiny little hands on the clock (time), we live a lot of our lives on default because being mindful of our own mind is a definition of too much work; but it’s necessary work.

If you take a minute to write down, or list in your head all the things you can remember yourself thinking today that is an action of mindfulness, I like calling it ‘minding the mind.’ Most people would call that reflection but that’s just too simple for me. I like having existential thoughts about the world we live in and how my mind works within it, don’t you?

“You don’t need to be a doctor, or scientist to have a general understanding of how your mind interprets the world around you.”

– emriyus, theexistentialist.ca, 2022

How do I talk to people? What time is it? Do I listen more than I speak? How can I respond without hurting this person’s feelings? Why am I thinking this right now?

Our minds are on a constant race to solve the problem, whatever that may be, we are built to ‘find the answer.’ Since birth we learn more about ourselves from the people around us than by doing it alone, if you tried to find the answer alone you might go insane. We sit with our thoughts to much and don’t know what to do with all of them, that’s why I became a writer. Although writing helps it gets draining when there are thoughts about writing my own thoughts down. There are other ways to mind the mind that I see a lot of people doing when I’m at work or on the street, the most common one is that deep sigh. aghhhhhh.

It sounds weird when its done on command but you get the same sense of relief as if there’s a weight lifted off your shoulders without you doing anything. All your doing, all day no matter what else, is breathing. Less than a two years ago you would have heard me screaming about how focusing on my breath is the biggest waste of time…. well… I’m on the breathing bandwagon now, this shit helps.

As humans, we go on a giant roller coaster ride of emotions in life and sometimes the only thing we can do is breathe. Even when our mind doesn’t know what to say, even when we are hating on ourselves or living our best lives, we are breathing. If there’s any way to take a step back from any situation it’s taking a deep breath and letting that big sigh out. If you forget the big sigh it’s just doesn’t feel the same. It also doesn’t give you that extra 5 second break you need in your day. The more deep breaths the bigger break you’ll get from your default life and a chance to sit in the present moment. You might think some of the same things…

How do I talk to people? What time is it? Do I listen more than I speak? How can I respond without hurting this person’s feelings? Why am I thinking this right now?

The last thing I’m going to mention is a phrase,

“Woosah”

Woosah is a slang expression variously used to indicate or achieve a state of calm and relaxation.

Ever since I was in elementary school I had been saying this on and off as a way to stop myself from fighting or acting on my anger. I grew up around the hippie, farmlife type of living so hearing that around me when someone was going through a hard time was more common than gossip about the problem. I think back on this a lot and will take it to my grave as one of the greatest life lessons to ever learn; don’t gossip, woosah. It is a way of letting people know something stressful is happening while getting that stress out in a healthy way.

If you got anything out of this post you might be able to answer the question, do you mind the mind?

*drawing coming soon*

• 
  About The Artist
  APPROX READ: 10 MIN TRIGGER WARNING: suicide, self-harm, depression, addiction, identity Before I go further… Read more: About The Artist
• 
  Living Life as an Existentialist
  APPROX READ: 5 MIN It is not what it looks like. I am sure you… Read more: Living Life as an Existentialist
• About The Artist
  APPROX READ: 10 MIN TRIGGER WARNING: suicide, self-harm, depression, addiction, identity You will notice I… Read more: About The Artist
• 
  Living Life as an Existentialist
  APPROX READ: 5 MIN It is not what it looks like. I am sure you… Read more: Living Life as an Existentialist
• 
  WHY do YOU care?
  Ok, this post is a tad blunt, but seriously, I have to ask… WHY do… Read more: WHY do YOU care?
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  Water. A Poem: Part 1
  APPROX READ: 1 MINUTE The way the blue-ish brown water flows. Nobody knows… Where this… Read more: Water. A Poem: Part 1

© THE EXISTENTIALIST 2022