Have you ever eaten a whole packet of biscuits(一袋饼干), but you planned to only have one? Or have you stayed up much later than you planned, or even all night, having "just one more" try in a game? Both of these are examples of mindlessness. When we live this way, we are not fully awake and not fully living our lives.
However, when we are mindful, we are different. We are conscious(清醒的) of our thoughts, our actions and what is happening around us. We might notice a beautiful sunrise or really listen carefully to what a friend is saying, instead of planning what we're going to say next. We are also clear about our own feelings and thoughts. So, we are consciously deciding what to pay attention to(关注) and we are not worrying about the past or planning for the future.
For most people, life is getting busier and more stressful. People are often doing two or three things at the same time: sending messages while watching TV, or even looking at phones while walking.
A study shows that ▲ . It can help you to focus to have a better memory and think more clearly. It can also help you to manage pain better and improve sleep, and it can even help you to lose weight because you won't eat that whole packet of biscuits without thinking.
A very simple skill that you can try right now is to close your eyes for a few minutes and count how many sounds you can hear. This will help you to focus on what is happening right now. Another skill is to focus on a piece of food instead of eating it without thinking, and notice how it feels and how it tastes.
Both of these skills help you to slow down and focus on the present moment. Jon Kabat Zinn says mindfulness is "Paying attention on purpose in the present moment and without judging."
