Nikhil Kabadi

Mindfulness is the process of bringing our attention to the present moment, but our emotions often act like clouds, obscuring what’s here and now.

Acknowledging and accepting these emotions is like blowing away those clouds to reveal a clear sky. By naming your emotions, you create the space needed for full attention to engage with the task at hand.

With practice you’ll notice, the emotions you acknowledge before starting an activity often differ from those you feel after completing it. And this is a very important realization.

If we let feelings dictate our actions, which is a default mode for many – we may avoid activities that are genuinely beneficial. This is where Mindful Productivity comes in.

Here’s an example from a friend who tested this approach. In the image below, you’ll see how their emotions shifted before and after various tasks. Just noticing this shift gives your reasoning brain the chance to take charge, letting you approach tasks with full presence and attention.

Feelings before and after

Let’s explore this further with two specific examples.

First, consider a 1:1 call with a colleague. The difference between bringing your full attention to the conversation and simply looking at it as a checklist is the difference between radical genuineness – showing respect and care – and blatant indifference. Observing the difference in emotions before and after such interactions can help you recognize the importance of building meaningful relationships.

Next, consider the habit of smoking. Rationalizing yourself out of this habit often fails because reasoning is a double-edged sword: it can justify smoking in the moment just as easily as it can highlight its long-term consequences. However, feelings cannot be fudged. Observing the similarity in emotions before and after smoking, such as guilt or dissatisfaction, can guide you to make better decisions.

By acknowledging the dissimilarities or similarities in emotions before and after an activity, you create milestones guiding your reasoning brain. This process frees you to focus on the task at hand with your full attention. This is the essence of Mindful Productivity.

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🍪Fortune Cookie:

Similar to the image, try this activity for a day: list your feelings before and after a few tasks.

If you find yourself struggling to identify emotions, try this:

• Close your eyes
• Take a few deep breaths
• Ask yourself – ‘How am I feeling?’
• Identify and name the emotions: “I’m feeling ______”

Then, proceed with the task in full awareness, and when possible, reflect on your emotions after completing it.

Related topic:

Happiness is attainable through conscious practice.