Mindfulness + Romanticism

William Wordsworth really wanted everyone to habitually contemplate life. Just to really take a second, turn off autopilot and experience the world around you. And honestly, he was onto something. Our phones are little attention robbers with sparkly For You pages and feeds that criminally absorb your entire attention. It is nauseatingly effective. Contemplation is deep thought about the world and your own emotions. A steppingstone to ease into this practice would simply be mindfulness. Taking a long second or so to really focus on the moment rather than the constant influx of information we receive through devices and life.

I opened my computer to start an essay for an Honors class I am doing, but I paused to open my phone to answer my mother that I did not want asparagus with dinner, and I ended up scrolling on Instagram for over an hour. That is horrific to me. I was going to write my paper; I had set my mind to it. I totally flopped and my computer almost died while I was scrolling and that is what fixed my attention back to my computer. One device to another. I literally handed my phone to my brother (a horrifying sentence) and told myself I would get a solid amount done before I got it back. I sat at my computer and blanked so hard I got mad. So, I picked up my book. I read a couple chapters and stretched out my feet and hit my computer. This damn paper. I put the book under my bed, plugged in my computer and finally opened a Word Document. I wrote my name, a vague title for my paper, and the date. I closed my eyes, and I don't think I fell asleep, but it was really close.

I got mad enough that I closed the computer again, left my phone and book where they were and walked down the stairs to the kitchen. I chugged a glass of water and told my mom I was going to write an essay. I went back upstairs and opened my computer. I took a deep breath and created the outline. I wrote an introduction. I wrote my two favorite points I wanted to make. I wrote the paragraphs surrounding them. I unplugged my computer because it was at full charge. I wrote another couple paragraphs and did my citation page. I blinked, kind of woke up out of a trance, and I'd written 7 pages. I had written my entire paper. I was astonished.

Isolating myself to focus and complete one task was liberating. The sense of accomplishment I felt at finishing my paper was incredible. I thought about what else I could do. So, I stripped my bed and started some laundry. I made dinner and sat at the counter and talked with my mom while I ate. I changed the laundry and decided to answer a couple emails I had put off. I grabbed my computer and answered them all; I refused to open another tab while I answered my professors. I got my laundry out of the dryer and folded all my clothes and made my bed. Man, I killed it.

I isolated myself specifically from my two biggest distractions, my phone and my books, and I focused on little tasks to devote myself to. The lack of distractions was lovely; it was a mental sigh of relief. Now if I could isolate myself from my computer, I would love to do that! However, I have two essays due in a matter of days, as well as these blog posts, and about seven other online assignments due by next Wednesday. I seriously miss packets, paper packets that teachers handed out that you got to scribble on and turn in and when you got it back, you'd get decent feedback. Save the trees and all, but learning from a computer screen has never gotten easier for me. I struggle reading literature and critiques on my computer when I'd rather have pages to flip.

All I'm saying is that it is beneficial sometimes to simply remove the distractions and remember how simple life can be. It doesn't have to be hours of mediation or serious effort; it can be just a deep breath after you send an email and walking to check your mail and noticing how the ground feels under your feet. Little moments of respite from the calamity of life brings back into focus how beautiful things are around us. We miss so much when we take a walk and are checking out phones as we go. Look at the changing leaves and the trees blowing in the air. Life is naturally colorful, and I feel like we are forgetful of that as we search for constant neons in our phones. Pick a task and finish it without distraction, it provides a pure feeling of accomplishment.

I did get my phone back from my brother, who, thankfully, has not figured out my new passcode. It had many, MANY selfies of questionable tase. And I haven't finished my book yet, but I will.

The paratactic requirement is killing me. I struggle to include the sentences in my blog post and they always end up at the end at the end all alone. I want to complete another task. Maybe I will watch a movie!

How to Stay Mindful in an Increasingly Mindless World | Psychology Today