Mindfulness & Using the Cell While Driving

Okay, I already posted on this already, but I just heard some statistics on the radio (I forget the name of the agency behind the study - I was driving at the time and couldn't write it down) that a driver's risk of having an accident while talking on the cell phone is 4 times higher than when not talking on the cell. The increased accident risk is the equivalent of driving with a blood alcohol content of .08%, which is considered legally intoxicated in all states.

So, the next time you are about to talk on the cell phone while driving, ask yourself, "Is this really necessary?" If it's urgent, consider pulling into a gas station to make that call. Fighting the urge to talk on the cell while driving is a strong one - I struggle with it too! We are a busy society and live in an "on-the-go" culture. Talking on the cell while driving can alleviate boredom and kill two birds with one stone, if you pardon the expression. You might be tempted to talk on the cell just out of habit, but try to be mindful and ask yourself if the increased risk is worth the potential cost.

Mindfulness & Nonjudgment

One critical aspect of mindfulness is trying to take a nonjudgmental approach to viewing your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. We are often quick to label things as "good," "bad," and related variations (e.g., wonderful, horrible). For example, we start thinking things such as, "It's terrible that I have so much do," "I'm a bad person for saying that," etc.

Certainly, there are times when judging is appropriate. After all, we'd have to always flip a coin or roll a die to make all of our decisions if everything were neutral. That would make life quite ridiculous! However, we need to realize that once we start judging things as good or bad, our feelings getting pulled along with these judgments. When we become mindful, we try to adopt a nonjudgmental approach so this gives us some psychological distance from our thoughts. We are not our thoughts - we are much more than that. But when we are not mindful, in a sense, we can become victims of our thoughts - be swept away by a current of negative thinking.

Here's how this can work practically. Let's say that you made a social blunder at a party. You might think to yourself, "I'm such an idiot for doing that!" Now, it's a given that it's probably never helpful to be so harsh on oneself, but let's say you are having trouble being kind to yourself. A mindfulness strategy that could help you feel a bit better is to think to yourself, "I'm having a thought that I was an idiot for doing that."

By using this approach, we are able to create some distance from the current of our thoughts. In essence, we are standing at the shore and watching the current of our thoughts. If we extend this metaphor of our thoughts as a river further, then stopping a river is quite a challenge. Getting out of the river to stand at the shore and safely watch the river flow is much easier. Give it a try sometime when you notice yourself getting inundated by negative thoughts and feelings (note that negative feelings typically result from our negative thoughts). As you practice, you'll get much better at getting to the shore. Sometimes you'll even prevent yourself from even falling into the river in the first place!

Using the Breath to Become More Mindful

One of the easiest and most powerful ways to become more mindful is to focus on the breath. Breathing always occurs in the present. It has the power to anchor us to "the now. " So, periodically throughout the day, take some slow, deep breaths. Try to inhale deeply using your diaphragm for a count of 7-10. You should feel your belly rise slightly on the inhale. Hold your breath for a second or two, and then slowly exhale for a count of 7-10. Listening to the sound of your breathing can help you to focus on the present. Rather than thinking of the sometimes daunting task of meditating for 30 minutes a day, try some slow, relaxed breathing several times throughout the day. You'd be surprised at how good it feels to take even one slow, deep breath. As you practice at it, you will notice a greater sense of calm and presence.