Getting in The Right State (2015)
Chapter 4 - Awareness
To be in the right state of mind, you have to be aware of your presence. Let’s say you’re sipping a cup of chamomile tea and while you’re at it, can you hear your older sister’s toddler approaching the kitchen? If you can’t, try to listen. Though due to an earlier incident, you’re flustered, it’s still your responsibility to track what’s going on.
Regardless of the emotion you’re carrying, remember that it’s only by noticing your surroundings that you are kept collected. Rather than be overwhelmed by other matters, be conscious, be observant, and process the current situation as it unfolds.
- No More Turning Back
If you’re not in the right state, the things you can do are limited. Though there’s not exactly a barricade in front of you, you are acting against your rationality. As your thoughts are focused someplace, you tend to be oblivious to the events happening. Rather than react with sound judgment as you’d typically do, the consequences are the kind you’ll regret later on. Often, the inflicted damage is too much that you’d deem it irreparable.
- You can’t accomplish the simplest tasks accordingly
Not being in the right state causes you to behave contrary to what you’re used to. For instance, though you’ve made it part of your routine to wake up at 8 in the morning on Saturdays to jog, you spontaneously start the day past 11 in the morning one weekend.
- You make excuses
Pinning the blame on another is a result of not being mentally well. At the state you’re in, you avoid negative criticisms, even if you deserve to be given a strike. Because you’re letting your mind wander, you aren’t conscious of mistakes you’ve committed. For you, it’s all fine.
- You’re impulsive
When out of the blue, you submit a resignation letter to express your discontentment regarding a job you’ve had for over 5 years, it’s a hint that you need to be in the right place. Even if truth be told, you really are unsatisfied with your regular work, quitting isn’t a matter decided in a snap. Rather, it needs to be thought through.
- You’re inattentive
If not in the right state, you’re impossible to reason with. Why? You don’t listen. Instead, you only hear outcomes that are favorable to your situation. If you haven’t totally accepted a proposal, chances are you won’t even make the least bit of acknowledgement when it was presented to you.
- You’re passive-aggressive
You do things with the intent of not having to face reality. Though you’ve agreed to show up in church in a few hours, you scoot off to someplace distant as a tactic. In your troubled state, you’re likely to disregard mature actions.
If your mind is not in the proper condition, everything - and everyone - is affected. Your view of the world will change. Your view of other people will change as well. Your actions are affected. Sometimes, simply seeing other people is enough to make you irritated and angry.
Of course you don’t want to be in such a negative world. Eliminate these bad thoughts. Exert the necessary effort to be in the right state.
- What Is Covert Awareness?
There’s a term referred to as covert awareness. As defined, it’s the knowledge of being informed without actually knowing about it. Unconsciously, you’re aware. At times you try to recall your thoughts but nothing really comes up.
For instance, do you wonder why you aren’t new to using a particular object when, in fact, you’ve just encountered it for the first time? It may seem odd and a bit creepy but sometimes, but your brain is already aware even before you know it is.
- Two Cases of Covert Awareness
- A man who suffered a stroke isn’t capable of making ethical judgments yet, as recorded, his Intelligence Quotient (IQ) remains unaffected.
- Due to carbon monoxide poisoning, a woman can no longer identify things yet she can understand what each object is for.
Have you heard of déjà vu? Déjà vu is a kind of covert awareness wherein someone has a feeling of familiarity without having a certain background on how or why a person is aware of a certain event or activity.
How does it affect your state? It’s by having an effect on your way of thinking.
- According to Science: An Awareness Approach
Feldenkrais, a somatic educational system introduced by Moshe Feldenkrais, is an awareness approach meant to significantly increase kinesthetic and proprioceptive functional movement. As it was found, there have been numerous positive benefits including better focus and an improved general well-being. It is experiential and is a movement pedagogy that promotes the provision of tools for subjects.
- The Power of Thoughts
Your thoughts are essential to your awareness. If you always see the good in things and aren’t short of hope, you’re likely to be in a better state. If you dwell on the lows, on the other hand, the result is the opposite.
Instead of being consumed by pessimistic thinking, be open-minded and acknowledge the instruments that are just there all along. As they play a role; try to modify what’s in your head.
POSITIVE |
NEGATIVE |
“I am not ready to take the test but from what I’ve gathered from my exceptional professor, I just might ace it.” |
“I am not ready to take the test. Though my professor is exceptional at his job, I might fail.” |
“This book seems informative. I’ll read it so I’ll learn a lot.” |
“This book seems informative. I won’t read it, though; I’m uncertain if I’ll learn something from it.” |
“My brother is an expert at this video game. Since we’re a duo, we have better chances.” |
“My brother may be an expert at this video game but the chance of being defeated is always there.” |
“I think living on my own isn’t easy. I’ll be with a friend, though, so I’ll be okay.” |
“I think living on my own isn’t easy. Though I’ll be with a friend, I may not be okay.” |
Being positive needs practice, but it’s still doable. It’s not something you obtain in just a snap, but eventually you’ll get there.
Before you sleep at night, think of what made you happy that day. It could be as simple as staring off into the sunset, seeing an old friend, or maybe a sincere compliment that someone from work has given you. Celebrating the small stuff can also affect you and have a major impact on what your current state is.
- It’s Not Monday Every Day
Don’t adopt the “Monday everyday” mindset. Under this mindset, you feel grumpy and irritable for most of your waking days. This is when your alarm clock makes that awful sound (simply because it takes you out of your deep, peaceful slumber) and you hit the snooze button. It again wakes you up, and what do you do? You hit the snooze button again. It’s the same thing every day.
Why not look at it in a more positive light? By now you would have known that negative energy can eat you up inside and drain you faster than a vacuum cleaner takes in dust. It makes you lose creativity. It makes you lazy and less productive. Even your decision-making skills are affected as you get grumpy.
Compared to being positive, being negative is said to be three times as powerful with regard to affecting your motivation. Perhaps you’re aware that it’s easier to remember the bad stuff rather than the good ones. This is because the brain is wired to recall the bad stuff more, brought by self-protective characteristics. When our ancestors were still gatherers and hunters, they were always on the lookout for threats, and that’s how the negative thinking started to get etched in our brains.
There’s still good news though: negativity might be a built-in element in your brain, but you can always snap out of it when you feel the need to do so. You can always tell yourself to think positively and to be happier each day.
It’s not Monday every day. Be happy; it’s healthier that way.
- What You Can Do
To be in the right state by being aware of your current situation, there are boundless things you can do. Not having troublesome thoughts in your head rewards you with a clear perspective. As a product, you’re more confident in what awaits. No longer will you be held back by the unfamiliar. Especially if you’re used to sitting out challenges, you’ll be caught off guard by your new attitude.
By being fully aware, you can:
- Act on a situation properly.
- Avoid conflicts.
- Commit fewer mistakes.
- Communicate more effectively.
- Control your emotions better.
- Determine your specific needs.
- Enjoy freedom.
- Express gratitude for the little things.
- Find an inner peace.
- Learn to prioritize.
- Make excellent decisions.
- Recognize future goals.
- Recognize what’s important to you.
- Visualize better possibilities.
Being in the right state will offer you a lot of benefits that will help not only you but the people around you as well. Having the right state will aid you in dealing not only with your present situations but also with the circumstances you’ll encounter in the days to come.
Having the proper mental condition makes you face the world with a better perception. Do you think you need assistance in putting yourself in the right state? No need to worry; help awaits.