Notice what you notice.
When I stepped into the grocery store on Saturday, alarm bells went off in my head. I was practically sprinting down the aisles, mindlessly grabbing things that weren’t even on my list before I caught myself and paused. “What is happening here?” I thought, aware of feeling tense everywhere. Then, it hit me.
“Masks are scary.”
They belong in movies about bank heists, not in my grocery store. Not on the face of my friend, David, who waves hello --- his smile, which I love, now invisible behind the fabric. Not on the faces of the heroic checkers who show up, get to work, stay present.
A few weeks ago, we introduced a favorite mindfulness pocket practice, “Notice new things.” It’s a way of putting your attention on a familiar thing with the intention of noticing something different. It’s a way to avoid auto-pilot, make the world more interesting, perhaps stop seeing the annoying way your spouse “always” does something.
Here’s what’s hard: so much is new right now, and our brains are suddenly working overtime trying to sort it all. If you’re like most humans, you’re experiencing a constant thrum of anxiety from all the new realities. Some of it is from very big, very legitimate stuff. A job and a homeschooling responsibility. Rent that’s due with no paycheck to back it up. The requirement to “socially distance” when you live in a small apartment with five roommates …
Here’s what can make it easier: understanding that the brain is wired to minimize surprise, to sort for predictable things. It often fills in the blanks based on past experience instead of current reality. And we’re seeing lots of things that tax the brain’s default sorting system:
Covered faces in the grocery store.
Empty streets with not a single “open” sign blinking.
A bus stop that hasn’t seen a yellow bus in weeks.
The anxiety we feel can be softened by just getting present and noticing what you’re noticing. This week, our pocket practice has an update: notice what you notice . . . because not all of it is threatening.
“Masks are scary.”
Until they aren’t.
When I paused to notice my mindless mental script, I had a chance to interrupt it, to ask myself, “What’s happening, really?” As soon as I noticed it was my brain’s default alarm system going off, I had a different set of facts.
“Masks are helping.”
Masks are healthy. Masks keep my favorite grocery checker safe. Masks shield my elderly neighbor from higher risk. (She was putting a package of toilet paper back on the shelf. She’s super cool. I would totally wear a mask for her.)
So you’re invited to just notice what you’re noticing. That’s all.
Be well,
Sara and the Becoming Jackson Whole Team
This week’s pocket practice
Pause.
Breathe in and out slowly, for one breath cycle.
What do you notice?
A thought?
A feeling?
A sound?
A physical sensation somewhere in your body?
Notice what you notice.
This week’s guided meditation
For a slightly deeper dive into the practice of noticing, try this 15-minute focused attention practice by our partner and masterful guide, Scott Rogers.