Human being or human doing? How To Flourish in a Busy World.
By Nina Zammit, Sport Psychology Practitioner
Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to “just be”? You sit down to relax, and suddenly your mind is replaying a past situation, then it jumps to tomorrow’s agenda, then you remember a message you haven’t replied to. You quickly grab your phone and start scrolling to block out all these thoughts. But strangely enough, this constant flitting between memories, plans, worries, judgements, dreams and “what ifs” is actually the nature of the human mind.
Thinking is what the mind does
Just as your ears hear sounds, your mind processes inputs and produces thoughts. However, instead of being in nature with the sound of birds and the wind in the trees, in our present world, our environment bombards us with constant novelties. Eight-second social media videos, constant notifications, adverts everywhere, fast food and fast fashion, coffee-to-go, deadlines and endless to-do lists. We are conditioning our brains to flit from one thought to another with increasing speed, like a monkey jumping from one branch to another. We are losing the ability to process our inputs, our emotions and our thoughts. This hinders our performance, our wellbeing and our ability to be in harmony with ourselves, our environment and our society.
The mind is being pulled everywhere and is pressured to respond immediately. We rarely get the chance to simply stop. So perhaps it is not surprising that many of us find it difficult to slow down, and instead feel stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed.
Why are we so distracted?
A lot of what we experience today makes more sense when we understand our evolutionary past. For much of human history, our brains’ main job was to keep us alive in a physically challenging and threatening environment. Being alert could make the difference between survival and extinction. But fast forward one or two millennia and our main challenges and threats are of a different nature completely.
Our survival probably does not depend on how many likes the latest post gets, or on a critical email from our boss, or a mishap with our friends. But our nervous system can still react in the same way it did when it faced a life-threatening predator in its evolutionary past. Our brain may respond as though our everyday challenges are threats to survival. This means that a social setback or insecurity may easily cause tension, excessive anxiety, repeated sleeplessness or digestive problems.
Training the brain for our modern world
The good news is that the mind is trainable. You can train your attention, your attitude and the way you look at things and respond to life. The human mind is one of the most complex systems which needs care and maintenance to continue to function properly. We may be running this highly sophisticated brain in an environment which it was not originally built for. Like driving a Formula 1 car on a sandy beach. Our complex societies with their constant demands increase the need for regular mental care. One of the most powerful ways of training the mind is through mindfulness.
Mindfulness is pay attention to the present moment, in an open and non-judgemental way.
At this point, it is necessary to clarify a big misconception about mindfulness. Mindfulness is NOT getting rid of thoughts. It is not about ignoring our responsibilities and problems. It is being present with how we are at this point in time, whether we feel peaceful, chaotic or neutral, without striving to change the moment. It is not about always having positive thoughts or pretending everything is wonderful all the time.
Mindfulness is a way of relating to our experience. It means paying attention to what is happening in the present moment, with curiosity and openness, rather than automatically judging, resisting or trying to change it. For example, as you read this, can you notice the feeling of your body where you are sitting? Can you hear sounds around you? Can you notice your breathing? And can you notice whatever thoughts are appearing in your mind? You may be even judging this article and wondering whether mindfulness actually works. That's all okay. Rather than trying to get rid of those thoughts, simply notice them. That is mindfulness.
Mindfulness does not have to happen on a meditation cushion, and the beauty of it is that you can be mindful whenever, wherever or whatever you are doing. You just have to remember that the mind is trainable from moment to moment, simply by zooming out from the content of your thoughts, to the present moment. When you are walking, you can notice the sensations in your feet touching the ground, or notice the sights and sounds around you. When you are having a shower, you can be mindful of the sound of the water and how it feels on your skin.
These ordinary moments become opportunities to come back to your life instead of living in a constant stream of thoughts racing through your head. The present moment is the only place where life is actually happening. Being mindful of the moment is being present in your life. Very often, we sleepwalk through our life without actually living it.
Who are we really beneath all the mental chatter?
As we become more aware of our thoughts, emotions and habitual patterns, we can start to understand ourselves more deeply. We might notice how often we criticise ourselves, how quickly we compare ourselves to others, how often we assume we are not good enough, or how much of our energy goes into trying to control things we cannot control. Once we become aware of our thought patterns through mindfulness, we offer ourselves a choice; do we react automatically, or do we pause and cultivate a different way of being, where we may be kinder, more patient, compassionate and accepting? Over time, when life inevitably brings disappointment, uncertainty and change, we can respond with thoughtfulness and presence rather than reacting through fear or rash expectations.
Perhaps one of the most interesting things about mindfulness is that when we slow down, we can start asking deeper questions.
What actually matters to me?
What are my values?
What kind of person do I want to become?
What gives my life meaning?
Am I living the life I actually want to live, or simply following the expectations around me?
These are not always easy questions. But many of us spend so much time consuming, achieving, comparing and distracting ourselves that we rarely create enough space to explore these questions. We keep thinking that happiness is just around the corner.
When I earn more money.
When I look different.
When people recognise me.
When I finally achieve this…
And then the mind moves on to the next thing.
How to live life fully
Mindfulness is developing the ability to live with greater awareness, self-understanding and freedom from habitual patterns, thus living with more clarity, kindness, purpose and freedom. It is the most valuable skill you can develop. Without training the mind, you may never find happiness, peace and fulfillment. You may run after this, consume that or work hard to earn more until you burn out, never really having enjoyed living in the meantime.
Want to learn how?
If you are curious about mindfulness and would like some guidance rather than trying to figure it all out on your own, you can follow my 8-week Mindfulness-Based Living course at Move.
The course is designed as a practical, step-by-step introduction to mindfulness. It’s not another thing to add to your already busy life, but an opportunity to continue your life with more awareness, confidence and resilience.
About the course:
Target Groups
Group 1: Adolescents: 16–20 years
Group 2: Adults: 21+ years
Group Size: Maximum 10 participants per group; a minimum of 5 is required to run
Program Structure
Duration: 6 weeks (1 session per week)
Session Length: 1.5 hours
Dates: Oct 26, Nov 2, Nov 9, Nov 16, Nov 23, Nov 30
Times: Group 1 (16-20 years) 4:30–6:00 PM
Group 2 (21+ years) 6:30–8:00 PM
Venue: TAASC Remedies Clinic, Birkirkara – Movement Room
Register here:
Link Adults: https://forms.fillout.com/t/oKDeAaV1squs
Link Adolescents: https://forms.fillout.com/t/coe2Ywqfubus
Contact the instructor for further questions: ninazammit@proton.me
About the instructor and author:
Nina Zammit (M.Sc.) is a qualified Sport Psychology Practitioner (M.Sc. German Sport University, Cologne), Mindfulness Teacher level 2 (Mindfulness Association UK) and Yoga Instructor (Yoga Vidya e.V. Germany). Nina’s journey began as a triathlete in her adolescent years, in which she discovered the power of training the mind both for performance and for general health. She went on to study different emerging techniques for training the mind that are currently being used to teach world class athletes how to reach and maintain peak performance. She adapted these techniques for training the mind and delving into a personal practice. She is dedicated to helping people of all ages to live a fulfilled, happy and peaceful life by empowering people with everyday techniques to be used for holistic health. Nina is currently reading for a PhD in Mindfulness with Youth at the University Clermont Auvergne, and working with leading experts in the field of mindfulness and sport psychology.
