Mindfulness helps with the OMG! factor.

When faced with drudgery or things we otherwise hate, there is the OMG! factor which includes a bit of distaste & a bit of resistance. If we could only find something to appreciate during such drudgery. The name for recognizing and appreciating the tiniest things is called "mindfulness." I'm writing today because I caught myself being mindful and wanted to share how it was done.

Like anyone else, there are things I really hate to do. This kind of drudgery brings out my basic sense of impatience and dread. Guess what it is. Can't? Okay, it's making the bed, crawling across the bed to tuck in the sheets, bumping my head against the wall, fluffing the pillows, making sure the edges of the sheet are aligned with the edges of the blanket and bedspread--OMG!

So today, I stopped myself from thinking about how annoying this project can be and switched my thoughts to more pleasant activities, like taking my morning walk, or entertaining fantasies like, what if I had a dog or what will I make for breakfast, maybe yogurt with cereal--no, too many carbs, or maybe a hot dog, but I'm out of bread. My thoughts were taking me away from what I was doing, but I still felt the drudgery.

Then I stopped myself from thinking, forced myself to focus on the act of making a pretty bed, starting with observing the floral pattern on my pastel blue sheets. I got into the "flow" or "zen" of it. Then I asked myself: What if everything had a life of its own, both animate and inanimate objects? What if they all needed attention but just weren't able to ask?

That's when I focused my attention on all five senses and listened to the way the sheets sounded, felt the softness of the bedding, and admired the rich brown color and subtle curve of the sleigh bed. This time, I didn't allow my mind to drift elsewhere or to make judgments. I didn't compare my 200 count sheets to my 300 count sheets. Instead, I appreciated the sheets and pillows on their own terms. In the other words, I gave them attention and also, I gave them love.

Being mindful changed making the bed into a painless affair. I even enjoyed making the bed. Mindfulness is something I will use more often. They say it's one of the keys to happiness.