Mindfulness: The importance of turning off our automatic brain

By Valene Ayar

According to a study done by Duke University, more than 40% of our daily activities are done out of habit. In other words, more than 40% of our behavior consists of acts we have not consciously decided to do.

This is the product of millions of years of evolution. It is what has helped us survive and thrive as a species. The less time and mental energy – both of which are finite resources – we expend having to decide on everything, the more time and energy that can be spent on more important decisions and behaviors.

While this automation has played a key part in our survival, it often comes at the expense of our own feelings of happiness and inner peace.

Over the course of several millennia, we have evolved and vastly changed. We have gone through many different phases to get where we are today. Nothing has stood the test of time or remained constant - well, almost nothing. Besides the fact that we are always changing (which is in and of itself an unrelenting constant), the other constant is that our biological purpose is survival.

These ideas we have about being ‘happy’ or pursuing ‘personal fulfillment’ are relatively new concepts when you look at the historical picture. We are human animals at our core, so when we follow the path of least resistance and allow our default nature take over, it can cause a lot of inner turmoil.

According to Dr. Joe Dispenza, author of You are the Placebo, by age thirty-five, a staggering 95% of who we are is a set of memorized behaviors, skills, emotional reactions, beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes; all of these things that essentially make us who we are, we do out of habit. The behavioral response runs like a subconscious computer program, similar to how a hard drive runs.

Once we turn the computer on, we don’t have to do anything, proactively, to keep it running. It just does. Sure, we can open applications and conduct distinct functions (just like we do with our brains), but there is still a hard drive running in the background, on its own.

That is astounding, and a little scary. When so many of our behaviors are done on an unconscious level, it gives way for so many unhealthy habits and learned behaviors to take over. It also makes us susceptible to believing outdated notions or ideas that no longer serve us.

This is why the importance of mindfulness cannot be stressed enough.

What is mindfulness?

Chances are, you have heard this term used before; as time goes by, you have been hearing it increasingly more. It is not a new concept. The idea of mindfulness dates back thousands of years and has its roots in Buddhist and Hindu cultures and ideologies.

Living mindfully simply means immersing yourself in the present moment and being aware of your awareness. Think of it as meta-alertness - you are not preoccupied with anything at all but what is happening in the moment. Your mind is not wandering to what happened yesterday or what chores and tasks you need to complete. You are fully present.

Many of you may be thinking, “No duh…I do that all the time.” Okay, but do you really? How often have you gotten in your car to leave work or another familiar locale you visit often, started the engine, and then before you knew it, you were pulling into your driveway at your home?

In other words, you do not really recall the actual drive between work and home…and why would you? It is a trip you have taken thousands of times before and know where you are going. You do not need to notice or pay attention to every little thing because you could basically drive that route in your sleep.

That is a prime example of not living mindfully. It is similar to being on autopilot.

You may now be asking, “Okay but who cares? You said that time and mental energy were finite resources so why would I spend either one thinking about something I know like the back of my hand, especially when I could be thinking about something else that requires my attention?”

Nothing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but only in certain circumstances.

More often than not, when we allow ourselves to run on autopilot, it makes our minds and psyches very vulnerable and gives way to negative or toxic thinking and pathologies that only serve to hurt us. It also makes us more susceptible to learning bad habits.

Alertness – judgement =

mindfulness

You see, the second part about being mindful – other than awareness – is awareness without judgement. It means to simply be, without judging or labeling.

While it may be nearly impossible to live this way all day every day, you can start small by carving out parts of your day to practice mindfulness.

There are many tactics written on the ‘how;’ Google “mindfulness” and you will get hits for 4 Foundations of Mindfulness, 5 Steps to Mindfulness, 7 Principles of Mindfulness, 8 Pillars of Mindfulness, and so on. The easiest way for most is to begin with meditation in small amounts, either sitting or even walking. Breathing techniques help, as does observation. In today’s world, mindfulness can help us better cope with what is happening around us.

According to Diana Winston, director of mindfulness education at UCLA, “We’re trying to train our minds to have a little bit more stability.”

Valene Ayar is an avid, lifelong reader who works in sales and enjoys freelance writing. She may be reached at 248.320.2622 or valene@thewritingwarrior.com.