Part 2: Stay Present

The two tips that I liked the most from this are:

1. Be aware of your body - need to b able to tell when something is wrong or you just need a break. I feel that I have a pretty good sense of this but sometimes I keep going to get things done or I am so caught up in what I am doing I don't fully recognize what my body is telling me.

2. Be present - a lot of times we look ahead to what is coming or what we need to get ready for and we don't take the time to enjoy and embrace the moment we're in. Having a two year old and another that will be here soon, I am trying to be more present and in the moment when I am spending time with my two year old because they're only the young once and I don't want to look back wishing I had spent more time with him. 
 

Jack Canfield reminded me very much of one of my yoga instructors in his attempt to force people to slow down, be present in the moment and carry on your day with intention. The first tip that I thought was terrific was setting aside some time during the work day, maybe at lunch, to close your eyes and get intune with your body and how you are feeling. Recognizing your breath, your emotion, what is going through your mind and noticing how your body is feeling can be a powerful tool to help teachers practice selfcare. The second tip that I found useful was becoming aware of your surroundings. We are products of our environment and one of my favorite quotes is "Don't look at life in a way where the grass is always greener on the other side. Know the truth, the grass is greener where you water it, so pour into the things you care about and watch them blossom!". As a teacher the environment that students are in is very important in the learning process. I make it a priority to create a calm, peaceful and soothing environment where students can be comfortable to learn.

The first tip that resonated with me was to "become aware of your thoughts." Canfield states that we should "shift our focus to the here and now and focus on the positive aspect of the present moment." I like this tip because it is a reminder to be grateful for our successes, no matter how small. Canfield mentions that even something like, "walking outside in the sunshine" is important to celebrate. 

The second tip that resonated with me was to "make a conscious effort to enjoy where you are." Similar to the first key I wrote about, Canfield suggests here that we need not look forward to future events, but instead focus on "where you are right now." While this may be difficult to do, I appreciate the sentiment. 

I think Canfield’s tips that resonated with me were the 4th and 6th. I think becoming aware of your thoughts and positive thinking is something we help our students with but avoid doing ourselves. I often tell my own children to have an attitude of gratitude and that is something easy to practice anywhere. I also like his tip to “make a conscious effort to enjoy where you are”. It seems similar to the 1st tip but I like the idea of staying in the moment and looking for the beauty in the moment. He talks a lot about waiting and it is too easy today to look at our phones instead of being in the moment. 

Canfield’s tips feel like a system that are best used as a whole system.  However, there were a couple that stuck out to me, not necessarily because I think that they are more important than others, but because I’ve used them to some extent in the past without really thinking about them as daily ways to be present in the moment.  The first of these tips was being aware of my surroundings.  At first, I did not think that this tip would matter as much to me as the others, but as Canfield elaborated and made connections to nature, it made more sense.  It helps to be appreciative of the space that we are in and perhaps to even cultivated a sense of awe about it.  The second tip that was useful to me was this idea of enjoying the now.  I liked how he described waiting as more or less being a cultural construct—it is what we make of it, and it does not need to be waiting or wishing our limited time on Earth away. 

Jack Canfield's tips for remaining present were helpful and appreciated.  One which I feel like I do well is #6 setting aside a time every day to focus and reflect on the present moment.  I do this every night after I put my kids to sleep.  I reflect on the day and the moments which I was most thankful for, the moments that made me happy to be alive.  The tip that I feel like I need to work on is #4: Being aware of my thoughts.  Often I feel overwhelmed because of where my mind takes me.  I would like to be able to recognize my thoughts and find relief in putting some aside, rather than allow them to make me more emotional.

The presenter speaks about mindfulness meditation but also speaks more specifically about two very important parts of that practice. 

1) Be mindful of your body
2) Be mindful of your thoughts

When meditating, or even just taking a moment throughout the day to ground oneself (in reality and in the moment), it's best practice to take a mental inventory of both of these things. I often pause to ask myself, "How am I doing physically? Are any parts of my body uncomfortable? What can I do to relieve discomfort or use another part of my body to reduce the burden for the rest of the day? Is my physical condition affecting my mood?" Doing a similar practice to see what thoughts I am carrying with me or circling back around to throughout the day is equally important and helpful. 

This video was a great reminder to be consistent and use the practices daily for the best result. 

1.       Make a solid commitment to remain present- this tip is one I would like to start doing. Canfield suggests that you look yourself in the eyes first thing in the morning and remind your self that you only have the present, and it is important to make sure that you are really present with what your experiencing right now. We shouldn’t harp on the past or the future, the past is done, and the future is not here yet. By reminding myself to remain present it will allow me to focus on what is in front of me and not was is behind or ahead. Being present in a classroom is very important. 2.       Become aware of your thoughts- all too often our thoughts get in our way of completing tasks, being present, and staying positive. I really think Canfield’s idea of trying to keep our thoughts positive is a great way to help us stay grounded and appreciate all of the great and positive things that we are experiencing in the current moment.

A big takeaway for me is to recognize the present through thoughtful meditation (tip #3.) Often, we find ourselves caught up in the tension and urgency of things that might not even happen. By stopping to slow down the physical body, I can let these things go and find peace. Tip #4 (we aware of your thinking,) is something I haven't always been very good at. It goes back to the ideas associated with growth mindset - focus on the positive to get better results. (Mind over matter.)

Two Tips that resonated with me were:

1. Remind Myself to come present throughout the day

2. Meditate and focus on relaxing in the present moment

I am terrible at number two.  I have a hard time sitting still and stopping my mind from things that are "on my to do list."  I really need to focus on clearing my mind and just breathing in the moment. 

1. Develop a system to remind yourself to come present throughout the day. Canfield suggests this can take the form of an alarm that prompts the person to take a moment to stop and see where they are and to take very intentional breaths. This pause requires the person to take a designated and required time to take a break and to check in on where the person is and how they feel.

2. Become aware of your thoughts. This practice combines gratefulness and mindfulness. He suggests each time we spiral into negative thinking, we have to actively stop ourselves and turn our thinking into a more positive stream of thinking. If we are having trouble with thinking more positively, we can being to list what we are grateful for while in that moment.