The focus of this issue of Alaska
Wellness is “Blessings and Celebrations”. We often associate these
words with annual events such as birthdays, anniversaries or
holidays, but in the context of this article we’ll be using the same
words in association with life’s everyday events. One of
Merriam-Webster’s definitions of “celebration” is “to honor
especially by solemn ceremonies or by refraining from ordinary
business”. Thus, celebrations are designated “time-outs” from
everyday routines which have the express purpose of appreciating
some aspect of our lives, be it ourselves (birthdays), our
relationships (anniversaries), our religion/spirituality, etc. Just
as it’s possible to disengage from our routine to appreciate these
things in retrospect on a given day, it’s just as possible to
celebrate life’s everyday events as they’re happening.
The practice of being present during, or celebrating, life’s
everyday moments has been an integral part of various Eastern
philosophies for many centuries, and has also become a more
prominent concept in the field of modern psychology since the early
1980s. Since that time, much clinical research has indicated that
the practice of celebrating life’s everyday moments can be helpful
in alleviating and preventing symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The ability to be intentionally aware of the sensations associated
with everyday events is a useful place to start. This is often
called mindfulness, and involves the process of choosing the content
of our awareness. For some people, the idea that we can choose what
our mind attends to at any given moment is a novel concept.
To experiment with your ability to choose what your mind focuses on,
try being mindful the next time you find yourself driving alone.
Turn off any devices that might interrupt you (the radio, your
phone) and focus on your five senses of the driving experience. What
do you see? What do you physically feel? What do you taste? What do
you hear? What do you smell? Incidentally, this exercise should
contribute toward safe driving behavior, not distract from it, since
you’ll be more attuned to the experience. See how long you can stay
immersed in the moment of these experiences before your mind takes
you back to an internal dialog, fantasy, or distraction. If you
haven’t practiced this skill, your ability to be present in each
moment in time will likely last for only a few seconds. If you
become distracted, simply notice the intrusion with detachment, and
refocus your attention to your five senses. The good news? This
ability is a learnable skill; like all skills, it can grow with
practice, patience, experimentation, and persistence. With time
you’ll be holding the senses of the moment in your mind longer and
longer.
Once we’ve developed the ability to hold our focus on the present,
the possibilities for celebrating life’s everyday events become
endless. The driving exercise is a great example of honoring, by
solemn ceremony and refraining from ordinary business, those moments
of life in your car. Being intentionally mindful can occur during a
walk, while brushing teeth, preparing a meal, or any otherwise
mundane task of the day. People who experience depression or anxiety
typically find these little daily celebrations very helpful because
they are often experienced as incompatible with the anxious or
depressive symptoms.
Another way to celebrate life’s everyday events is to intentionally
focus on a specific aspect of one’s life, as opposed to attending to
whatever stimuli happen to be present in the moment. By
intentionally focusing on specific aspects of life, we can literally
choose our experiences on a daily basis. To experiment with this
idea, spend 15 minutes each morning focusing on what you are
grateful for. See how many things you can be consciously and deeply
appreciative of; spend some time sitting with that feeling of being
thankful. Throughout the week, pay attention to what effect your
daily celebration has had on the rest of your life.
Though we normally associate celebrations with events such as
birthdays, dinner parties, and dates on a calendar, we can employ
the same dynamic for everyday events in our lives. By building
skills such as the ability to be mindfully aware of our senses, and
the ability to sustain focus on a particular aspect of life, we can
choose to celebrate previously mundane aspects of daily life. By
celebrating these ordinary moments, we can live the meaning of the
old adage: “There is no road to happiness, happiness is the road.”
Chris Reynolds works in
private practice in Anchorage, where he specializes in individual
therapy, couples therapy and sexual issues. He can be reached
through his website at
www.reynoldstherapy.com.
