Are you mindful?

by Elia Strange

Why do we need to be mindful?

Being present in the moment, or mindful, allows us to enjoy our lives.

When we are fully present and focusing on the tasks and activities, time becomes irrelevant and worries and concerns are simply not there.

You cannot be present and have worries about the future or painful memories from your past. When you are fully present, your mind is free from thoughts.

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Think of mindfulness as an active meditation. You can look at something in nature or pay attention to the conversation with your friend. Have no thoughts, but remain focused. The background can change, but your mind is alert.

Are you mindful? Do you focus on tasks without much thinking on the background? Take this test and see what the answers reveal.

For this test you will need a pen and paper to write down your answers.

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Choose one answer for each question of the 'Are you mindful?' test

and write them down:

- Often,

- sometimes,

- rarely,

- never

1. Throughout the day I am aware of my own thoughts and mood

2. I notice how my body responds to stressful situations

3. I get frustrated easily

4. I like to eat in front of TV or computer

5. When someone is telling me about his or her problems, I feel drawn into the conversation

6. I like taking time to enjoy my cup of tea (or a meal)

7. When I enjoy nature, I don’t do much thinking

8. When I’m talking to another person, I feel like I’m observing our conversation from a distance

9. I enjoy playing with children (or pets)

10. I try to spend my free time in nature

11. I meditate or use relaxation techniques

12. I lose myself in my thoughts thinking about the past or the future

13. I like doing most things fast

14. Time goes very quickly for me

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'Are you mindful?' Test Scoring:

For the statements:

1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Score:

3 - for ‘Often’,

2 – for ‘Sometimes’,

1 – for ‘Rarely’,

0 – for ‘Never’

For the statements:

3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14

Score:

0 - for ‘Often’,

1 – for ‘Sometimes,

2 – for ‘Rarely’,

3 – for ‘Never’

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'Are you mindful?' test

Answers:

0 – 14 – It does make me wonder why you took this test in the first place. You probably know that you need a lot more practice to make yourself mindful (or present) in the activities you do throughout the day.

Try to stop once in a while and fully realise what you are doing at that moment. Enjoy the food that you eat and the tasks you do throughout the day.

Observe your emotions, how they arise and when they go down. Read books such as ‘The Power of Now’ and learn more about mindfulness and being present.

14 – 28 – You are doing great! Being mindful is very important to you, although a bit more practice is required.

Observe your thoughts and emotions, watch how you respond when talking to others, and enjoy every bite of your food.
From time to time, close your eyes and focus on your breath for a couple of minutes. Focusing on the breath will make you more present instantly.

28 – 42 – Oh Spiritual Being! You really value your time and life in general.

It seems that most of the time you are paying attention to your activities, focusing on tasks, and enjoying nature and having fun, unlike most of us! You have enough knowledge and wisdom to share with others.

So use this opportunity whenever you can. I hope you fully realise how precious this quality is – to be mindful.

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Other Articles you might be interested in:


Are you independent? (Quiz)


How angry can you get? (Quiz)


Are you always right? (Quiz)


Can you talk to teenagers? (Quiz)


How optimistic are you? (Quiz)

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