We hear the word Mindfulness so much these days, but what does it really mean to be mindful. Below are 10 statements that will help you determine how mindful you are at the present moment.
Read each statement and score yourself out of 10: Score yourself 1 if the statement is not like you at all. A score of 10 means OMG, I do that all the time!
- I don’t give enough of my time to my family and friends, and hardly give myself any time at all.
- My life often feels like a constant rush, going from one important or urgent thing to the next.
- I usually snack without savouring the food and I’m always on my phone or doing something else whilst drinking my coffee.
- I often try and do two things at once to save time and I feel guilty if I ever try to relax or do nothing.
- I usually forget peoples names almost as soon as I’ve been told them.
- I often drive places on autopilot and when I arrive I can’t remember the journey.
- When talking with people, I find my mind wandering away from the conversation onto some other topic.
- I rarely notice tension or discomfort in my body until it gets intense and serious.
- In meetings or even socially it often feels like I’ve mentally checked out, I’m somewhere else.
- Even whilst considering these questions I found myself thinking about other things!
Now add up your scores.
0 – 25 😊
You are very mindful, probably relaxed and happy and you don’t need to worry about stress at all. Did you just come back from a long holiday or are you a Buddhist monk?
25 – 50 🙄
You are reasonably mindful at the moment although you will probably start to feel stressed when the pressure builds. Make sure that you know how to relax when times get tough.
50 – 75 😬
Your mind is full but you’re not mindful! You will almost certainly be experiencing large amounts of stress in your life right now and if you don’t do something about it soon you could be headed for trouble. Learn to relax as soon as possible and start to include a 10-15 minute meditation session everyday to quieten your mind.
75 – 100 👿
OMG Watch out !!!! You are not mindful at all and probably extremely stressed at the moment. Drop everything and go on a meditation course immediately!