Be Present

Be Present!

I just finished my workout, made breakfast, and was sitting down to eat and the first thing I grabbed was my phone to do my morning reading.  My thought process, “get your reading done so you can check the box you read today and because you will be too busy to read later”.  Then a little voice repeated over and over again, almost in a whisper, “BE PRESENT”. 

These two words are the very thing I tell my athletes, especially my pitchers and hitters I coach when they are in competition.  “BE PRESENT”.  It’s a very simple phrase to quiet the mind, eliminate distractions, and make you focus on the task at hand. See how it might help the pitcher in a pressure situation throw a strike with 10,000 fans screaming at him.

But Rob, how does this relate to you eating breakfast and reading? Simple, multi-tasking keeps you distracted from focusing on the ONE THING you should be doing.  It doesn’t sound like a big deal I know. It’s reading and eating at the same time (little more complicated than chewing gum and walking), but it isn’t being present either.  Every time I needed to take a bite, the flow of reading would stop and I would have to start again where I left off.  My eating speed increased so I could get back to the page sooner, not a good thing.  Studies have shown that you should chew each bite of food 20-30 times.  If you have never done this, try it once; it is way harder to eat this slow than you think.  The benefits for this are too numerous to go into details in this article. 

Bottom line, there was a small distraction in either task (that doesn’t consider the notifications on the phone that pop up).

By being present on the task of eating, I slow down allowing for better digestion, better gut health, and better nutritional uptake from the food I am eating.  Overall, better health over time.  Then, later by being present with the book I am reading, I can fully engage in the material: read faster, take notes, ask questions, process imagery, retain information better.  Maybe I only read for 5 minutes because that’s all I have time for today, but in that 5 minutes, over those 5-8 pages I may read in that time, I will be more productive than reading for 10 or 15 minutes at breakfast.

So today I urge you when you feel like you are trying to multi-task, whisper to yourself, “BE PRESENT”. By using this simple phrase you are basically starting a mindfulness practice which has been shown to reduce stress, increase productivity, and enhance feelings of well-being.  Best part, it’s free and it’s easy! No mantras, no chimes or bells, no uncomfortable sitting postures, just the simple act of elimination and focus on the ONE THING.

BE PRESENT with your kids during play by turning off your phone for 10 minutes.  I promise you, something will happen in that 10 minutes that will give you joy for days, or a black eye, could go either way.

BE PRESENT at dinner by putting your phone on airplane mode.  Have a conversation with a loved one as you share a meal. Enjoy the flavors.  Cherish the sip of wine or that 25 year old Scotch.

BE PRESENT at work by setting your phone to do not disturb for 25 minute blocks.  Pick one task, one project you need to get done and do not turn your phone on, check email, or talk to your colleagues until you have it done.  Yes, stand up every 25 minutes, get outside for 5-10 minutes, and repeat.  Do not take your phone on break.  Be on break, not distracted by the 5 calls you missed, BS emails that came in.  The break is your time, don’t let someone steal it.

BE PRESENT with email by only checking it two times a day at set times. Reread the above previous paragraph if you struggle with this one.  Email will suck your time and attention away if you let it.  Emails can wait.  If it was urgent, they would call you.  Which unless it is a family member calling in the middle of the day when they know you are at work, that phone call can wait too.  Get shit done by avoiding the BS.

BE PRESENT with the friend having coffee. Turn the phone off and leave it in the bag.  Not on the table where you can see it and check it every 2 minutes.  Side note: Men do not put your phone in your pocket (it’s a matter of the little swimmers).

Last thing, this goes for the Smart Watch also.  Love mine, but make sure it does not vibrate every notification you get either.  It may be worse than the phone.  Jury is out on that one.

If you made it to the end of this article without checking notifications, looking at your watch, or responding to any other distraction, congratulations, you were present!  You can do it!

“BE PRESENT”