Sunday Reset

In the Meantime, Practice Mindfulness

You know that expression “in the meantime," what does that mean to you?

When my younger daughter was little, she got very upset when I used the expression, “in the meantime”.  She'd ask, “why is it mean, mommy?” Leave it to the literal translation of a child to spark new ways of communicating. We shifted our language to:  the in-betweentime or the waiting time.

So with greater curiosity, I'm reflecting on what the meantime really is - time when we're in between, or a time of waiting. Some describe it as the space between no longer and not yet. How would you describe the meantime?

Whether we're in between meals, seasons, relationships, or jobs, we can notice how it feels to be in between. If we're waiting on line at the grocery store, or for the light to change, the water to boil, the show to end, the music to stop, the neighbor to move their car, or whatever the scenario is, we can pause and notice how waiting feels. The meantime can be a great time to practice mindfulness - it's a time when we can check in and see how we're doing. We might notice thoughts, judgements, expectations. We might notice sensations in the body or emotions coming and going. 

We also taught our daughter that while we're waiting -  in the meantime, we can practice patience.  We further shared that patience isn't just waiting, it's how we manage ourselves/behave, and care for ourselves while waiting.

Does this feel like mindfulness to you? I'm noticing practices that feel relevant:

• 5 4 3 2 1 - Awareness of the Senses -using our senses to notice what else is present and true in the moment  - noticing what we see, feel, hear, smell, and taste. Through this practice we can determine if we feel safe. When we feel safe, we shift from fight/flight/freeze to rest and digest.

• Awareness of breathing and body - we can deliberately place our attention on our breath and body and start to self-regulate.

• Equanimity -allowing each moment to be just as it is with steadiness and spaciousness.

• Self-compassion - with awareness for any struggle we may be experiencing, we can offer ourselves self-compassion - through phrases (may I be at ease) or gestures (placing one hand in the other). Having patience for ourselves is a form of self-compassion.

• What practices support you in the meantime?

Practicing mindfulness meditation in the meantime may not make time pass faster or even change the situation, but it may allow us to better care for ourselves and our thoughtful responses to life during those times.

I'm curious to hear from you,  What the meantime mean for you, and if practicing mindfulness feels meaningful. Send me anemail.

Warmly,

Julia

Below you'll find resources to support you in the meantime.