In my last post I mentioned mindfulness and presence as tools to bring you out of resistance and into moving forward with a task.

What exactly are mindfulness and presence? Ubiquitous buzzwords in the self-help and spiritual communities, they are often used interchangeably. Let’s take a look.

In the example of being hijacked by my resistance to finish a blog post, I stopped writing to check laundry, do dishes, and rearrange my workspace. Eventually, I became present (what’s happening in this very moment and why?), recognized my resistance and the associated “avoidance” activities, and returned to finish the post.

Had I been practicing mindfulness, I would have become aware and conscious that my urge to get up from the computer was an avoidance program kicking in and I would have nipped it in the bud and never got up in the first place. If I had stayed present with my writing, the other activities wouldn’t even occur to me.

This is just one example. I’m sure you’ve heard of mindful eating as a tool for weight management.   Have you ever blown through a bag of chips or bowl of ice cream while watching TV? That is mindless eating. If you are mindful and present, it’s not likely that you’ll finish an entire bag of chips and wonder where they went.

Easier said than done? You bet! It takes practice, but the rewards are well worth it.