WEBVTT - Go off autopilot

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to go off autopilot. By nudging ourselves

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<v Speaker 1>out of mindlessness, we can be more mindful and hopefully happier.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip, like a few this week, comes from Melissa

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<v Speaker 1>Staginus's book Everyday Mindfulness. This book features over a hundred

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<v Speaker 1>ideas for introducing mindfulness into daily life. Number forty seven

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<v Speaker 1>is attend to autopilot. Melissa writes, like most people, you

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<v Speaker 1>probably spend a lot of time doing things on autopilot,

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<v Speaker 1>washing the dishes, commuting to work, cleaning, running errands, and

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<v Speaker 1>so on. But she says there is much to be

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<v Speaker 1>gained by being present, that is, paying attention during your

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<v Speaker 1>everyday tasks and routines. Everything you do can be an

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<v Speaker 1>opportunity to cultivate mindfulness and gratitude. Now, of course, there's

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<v Speaker 1>a reason our brains go on autopilot. Sometimes we do

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<v Speaker 1>many things routinely, and our brains can't be firing seven.

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<v Speaker 1>Going on autopilot free up our brains to daydream, to

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<v Speaker 1>process things that have happened, or just to relax. That said,

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<v Speaker 1>too much autopilot makes life seem to disappear. Our most

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<v Speaker 1>memorable times when time seems to slow down are when

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<v Speaker 1>we are paying close attention to everything that's going on.

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<v Speaker 1>Think about a vacation somewhere exotic. You are noticing everything

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<v Speaker 1>because it's all so different, and the time before breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>on the first day can feel like a fortnight at home.

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<v Speaker 1>You probably aren't going to Morocco or Cambodia or the

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<v Speaker 1>Arctic anytime soon, but you can pay attention and go

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<v Speaker 1>off autopilot for a little while. Even in everyday life.

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<v Speaker 1>Melissa suggests that you choose one thing you usually do

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<v Speaker 1>on autopilot and pay close attention to that activity. So,

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<v Speaker 1>for instance, she suggests that you drive in silence to

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<v Speaker 1>practice positive self talk, or meditate as you clean the house.

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<v Speaker 1>While cooking, eating and washing dishes, silently express your gratitude

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<v Speaker 1>for good food and clean water. She says, even the

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<v Speaker 1>most mundane moments can bring wonder if you try. I

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<v Speaker 1>wrote this at the beginning of November. For about a week,

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<v Speaker 1>I could see a blazingly red maple tree out the

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<v Speaker 1>kitchen window as I was doing the dishes. I make

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<v Speaker 1>a point of buying nice smelling dish, soap, lavender, pear

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<v Speaker 1>me in that sort of thing, and warm water feels

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<v Speaker 1>good on cold hands. Even laundry can bring a smile

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<v Speaker 1>when I look at tiny baby socks. Then this transforms

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<v Speaker 1>into exasperation when I can't find the matching sock. Tiny

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<v Speaker 1>baby socks inevitably get lost, but their fleeting tininess can

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<v Speaker 1>jar you out of autopilot for a while. So today,

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<v Speaker 1>choose one routine thing to make less automatic. Smell those

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<v Speaker 1>coffee beans, Notice the brilliance of a cooking pan or

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<v Speaker 1>a spoon. It took humanity a long time to figure

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<v Speaker 1>these things out. Same thing with your buttons and zippers,

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<v Speaker 1>not to mention furnaces that generate nice, pleasant levels of heat.

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<v Speaker 1>As you set the thermostat, you can pause and pay attention.

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<v Speaker 1>A little bit of mindfulness makes daily life memorable, and

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<v Speaker 1>memorable days don't slip unnoticed into the past. In the meantime.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making

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<v Speaker 1>the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to

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<v Speaker 1>hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

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<v Speaker 1>or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook

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<v Speaker 1>and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's b the number

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<v Speaker 1>four then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot

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<v Speaker 1>me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart

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<v Speaker 1>media dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out with

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<v Speaker 1>all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to

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<v Speaker 1>staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I

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<v Speaker 1>Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit

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