The Art of Doing Less – In Order to Do More

By Mia Constantinescu

There’s a great book written by Jon Kabat-Zinn called ‘Wherever You Go There You Are’ [1]; I discovered it last year and it became my book of choice for when I wanted to sit in Botanic Gardens reading and looking mysterious.  

The book talks about the importance of mindfulness in everyday life, and in light of World Mental Health Day passing on the 10^th of October, and it’s theme being “It’s Time to Prioritise Mental Health in the Workplace”,  I wanted to share what learning to slow down has done for me this past year, and what I think it can do for you. 

Throughout first year, my daily routine was fairly consistent; I would wake up 20 minutes before my lectures, rush to get ready, and then sprint to class. After I would race to the library before hurrying home and scoffing down some penne (with Dolmio Tomato and Basil sauce) before going out. Whilst I think this is a standard uni-student practice, this method of rushing through our days is a vital flaw to our productivity and happiness that we each unconsciously face. It’s a flaw I certainly had – that is, until I discovered mindfulness.  

What exactly is mindfulness though, apart from some New-Age buzzword?  

Mindfulness is defined as a form of awareness that centres on attending to the present moment in a non-judgemental and accepting manner [2].

Basically it means being in the present moment, by focusing on what’s around you. It allows you to be the observer of your thoughts rather than being controlled by them. Essentially taking a step back from everything rather than being in the thick of it, and giving your overactive mind a well-needed break.  

Elizabeth, a psychotherapy graduate and MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) practitioner tells me, “When we practice being in the present moment, we activate our parasympathetic nervous system, giving us a sense of peace and calm. When you’re feeling worried, you’re living in the future and when you’re feeling guilty, you’re living in the past. In the present moment there are no problems, there’s only what is. The beauty of life is in the present moment”. 

And she’s right – practicing mindfulness increases the brain’s neuroplasticity (how well it can change and adapt), which in turn increases the brain’s grey matter: responsible for our decision making, learning and memory [3] [4].  

It also reduces the amygdala which processes emotions like fear and stress [5]. Unsurprisingly, when we allow these emotions to control our responses, we become less productive [6]. 

But how do you ‘live mindfully’?  

In ‘Wherever You Go, There You Are’ the author poses the question of ‘when you are in the shower, are you really in the shower? Or are you someplace else, lost in thought, missing the shower all together?’. This was the quote that made me far more aware of everything around me, because I realised I was totally unaware. I began to really take notice of the hot water on my skin and listen to the sound of lathering shampoo into my hair. Basically, mindful living means becoming aware of your surroundings, rather than rushing past it all.  

Eating is another good occasion for mindfulness. When you eat, are you tasting your food? Next time you sit down to eat, allow yourself to feel the weight of your body in the chair, then notice the heat rising from your food, and listen to the sound you make chewing.   

When you’re on a run and you have no thoughts because all you can feel is the burn in your legs, the metallic taste in your mouth and WANTING TO STOP RUNNING – that’s mindfulness! 

I think we’re often far too caught up with the future – we’re always thinking and planning ahead and while sometimes it’s important, life after all happens in the present moment. Of course that’s easier said when you don’t have 5 assignments due at the end of the week, but when you allow your brain those moments of rest in between it all, you will enhance your enthusiasm and your overall productivity when it does become time to work [7].  

Personally, I’ve noticed countless changes in my own attitude since adopting mindfulness. I’ve begun to see work as something I’m choosing to give my attention to (when I do) rather than something I’m permanently stressing about. In addition to this, when I take my time going from place to place and use it to ground myself in the present moment – by listening to sounds around me for example – I actually find myself enjoying my life more.  

Don’t get me wrong, I still wake up 20 minutes before my lectures, but I go to classes with a new sense of calm. I’ll feel the chill of the air as I walk and I’ll look and smile at whoever I pass. When I get a pre-library matcha latte, I feel the heat of the cup in my hand and the earthy, sweet taste of each sip, I’ll look for any squirrels on my stroll to the library. It’s helped me to romanticise my life and to see the beauty in so many small things which I never noticed before – sometimes I’ll walk past the Lanyon Building and remark on how pretty it is, despite having seen it a thousand times. 

Elizabeth says using mindfulness “stops me spiralling into anxiety and feeling overwhelmed, giving me clarity and perspective on my day ahead. And it literally only takes one minute”. 

I used to think rushing everywhere helped me get places faster and things done quicker, but I’ve realised it slowed me down overall – my mind never got the break it needed to so I could never give my full attention to anything.  

In between lectures, or walking to the library is the perfect place to let your mind chill, let it enjoy what’s around you. Let yourself enjoy what’s around you. 

And if you don’t want to listen to me, at least listen to Billy Joel when he says, ‘Slow down, you’re doing fine, you can’t be everything you want before your time’ 

Yours sincerely,  

Someone who rushed to meet the deadline for this (mindfully).  

Sources:

[1] Kabat-Zinn, Jon. 2023. Wherever You Go, There You Are. Hachette Go.

[2] Bishop, Scott R., Mark Lau, Shauna Shapiro, Linda Carlson, Nicole D. Anderson, James Carmody, Zindel V. Segal, et al. 2004. “Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition.” Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice 11 (3): 230–41.

‌[3] Baer, Ruth A, Kelly G Wilson, and et al. 2010. Assessing Mindfulness and Acceptance Processes in Clients : Illuminating the Theory and Practice of Change. Oakland, Calif.: New Harbinger Publications.

[4] Tang, Rongxiang, Karl J. Friston, and Yi-Yuan Tang. 2020. “Brief Mindfulness Meditation Induces Gray Matter Changes in a Brain Hub.”Neural Plasticity 1–8.

[5] Gotink, Rinske A., Meike W. Vernooij, M. Arfan Ikram, Wiro J. Niessen, Gabriel P. Krestin, Albert Hofman, Henning Tiemeier, and M. G. Myriam Hunink. 2018. “Meditation and Yoga Practice Are Associated with Smaller Right Amygdala Volume: The Rotterdam Study.” Brain Imaging and Behavior 12 (6): 1631–39.

‌[6] Bui, Tina, Rosey Zackula, Katelyn Dugan, and Elizabeth Ablah. 2021. “Workplace Stress and Productivity: A Cross-Sectional Study.” Kansas Journal of Medicine 14

[7] Coo, Cristián, and Marisa Salanova. 2017. “Mindfulness Can Make You Happy-And-Productive: A Mindfulness Controlled Trial and Its Effects on Happiness, Work Engagement and Performance.” Journal of Happiness Studies 19 (6): 1691–1711.

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