How I Practice Mindfulness

As regular readers know I’m an outdoor sports junkie. One of the biggest drivers for me to work less is to free up time to enjoy the natural wonders of this amazing starship we call Earth.  Whether it be rock climbing, mountaineering, cycling, stand up paddle boarding, or just good old running, I love playing and working out in nature.

Some people call these pursuits “extreme” sports.  Those of us who do them have long been tired of that media trope that emerged over 20 years ago.  Are these activities “extreme”?  Sure, they come with some inherent risk, as do all sports.  See: football and CTE

I would, however, consider routinely sitting on the couch eating Cheetos and binging on Netflix as an extreme activity.  The long term consequences of that are far more dangerous. 

But I’ll take their bait and agree that many of my hobbies are “extreme”.  They’re extremely healthy, extremely fun, and extremely mind-cleansing.  Fun and healthy are worthy things to pursue, but I’d like to focus on mind-cleansing.

 

The Achiever’s Burden

How I Practice MindfulnessWe who pursue financial independence tend to be achievers.  If you look at the community and the financial independence blogosphere you’ll find people who are winning at life

But with the achievement personality comes the constant mind chatter, the voice in the brain that doesn’t allow rest.  Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ve noticed that “mindfulness” has become quite popular in recent years.  One of the definitions of mindfulness is:

a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

I’ve noticed many personal finance bloggers have written about mindfulness and how it can help on the path to FI.  And in general the main proponents of mindfulness tend to be high achievers.  The kind of people that get interviewed on the Tim Ferriss podcast.

Why is this?

High achievers tend to have constant mind chatter.  And, like Tim Ferriss, much of it is negative and self-critical.  They have an ever-present inner voice pushing them to do things, to accomplish, to improve. 

And it’s largely pessimistic.  Studies show that mental chatter is a 70% negative phenomenon.  This is called negativity dominance.

As the article explains, the negative thoughts are not random but rooted in deep-seated values, desires, and goals. 

So mindfulness, or learning how to silence that voice, even temporarily, can be very therapeutic. 

 

Nobody Asked You, Stupid Voice

How I Practice MindfulnessI’m not immune from this negative self-talk, and experience it daily.  It’s a constant battle.  When I’m making a new graphic design or writing a blog post, the voice is often there.  “No one’s going to buy this…..”, or “This post is going to flop….. c’mon, give it up”.  I hate that voice.

For me, the outdoor sports I do function as mindfulness to help squash that voice.  They forced me to be “in the moment” and to block out the mind-chatter.  Because if I don’t, the consequences could be very high.

When I’m 50 feet up on a sheer rock wall and the only thing preventing me from falling are four of my fingers wedged in a thin crack, trust me, I’m in the moment.  I’m not thinking about my net worth, my job, or that wobbly fence post in my backyard that I need to fix.  The climb requires 110% of my focus.  I’m attuned to every muscle twitch, every little pain, every sound, and every sensation around me.  I am alive.

When I’m flying down a narrow trail on my mountain bike at speeds faster than I should, my mind must be fully focused on what I’m doing.  It’s impossible to be thinking of bills, my side hustle, or anything else.  That’s a recipe for crashing and hitting a tree.

These activities are like a big “ctrl-alt-delete” for my brain.  They wipe out all the proverbial mental browser tabs of mind-chatter that relentlessly pile up and stress me out.  I’m not thinking about the future, or the past.  It all becomes invisible and the screen just goes to a picture of a pretty pasture with wildflowers.  Like those old Windows desktop pics.

My extremely fun sports teach clarity and focus in a multitasking world where many of us find it increasingly difficult to read a short 500 word article without getting distracted. 

As I wrote for a post on The Mindful Explorer last year, effective recharging of oneself doesn’t happen by USB port or plug, it happens in their absence.

 

Mindfulness Is Where You Find It

Do you constantly have that negative mind-chatter that you can’t seem to shut off?  That voice of stress, pushing you to do more while not accepting and reflecting on what you’ve done? 

I would suggest “extreme” sports, but hey I’m biased.  They sure do wonders for me.  But there’s tons of other activities that require 100% mental focus, and that don’t come with the physical risk.

If meditation or similar mindfulness practices work for you, then keep doing them.  But for me, so-called extreme sports give me all the benefits of mindfulness, with awesome fitness gains as a cherry on top. 

Your turn readers – Do you practice meditation or mindfulness? Or like me do you use other activities to do it in an indirect way?

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Dave @ Accidental FIRE

I reached financial independence and semi-retired in my mid-40's through hard work, smart living, and investing. This blog chronicles my journey and explores many aspects of personal finance including the psychological and behavioral factors that drive our habits.

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38 Responses

  1. So after a major uptick in output for an extended period of time, I needed the practice of meditation/mindfulness to do as you say – turn off the constant chatter. But since I’ve rebounded from that time, I use my runs and other workouts as my mindfulness / free mental space time. It’s no rock wall but it gets the job done.

    One thing I will say is that actually meditating produced tremendous results and I’ve been working on prioritizing time for that lately. Have you meditated?

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      I have tried a few times, and failed. Miserably. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m just not the kind of person who can channel mindfulness by being still. I love moving, and it’s through motion that my brain starts to turn off the chatter and get simplified. I really did try, and I hate failing at something, but it just didn’t work for me.

      • Mike Monfredi says:

        It’s important to identify what works for you, so kudos. I’d classify that as successful.

  2. xrayvsn says:

    I can now say I engage in an extreme activity (the Netflix one) on occasion 🙂

    An activity that requires your entire focus can indeed be cleanser for all the distractions life throws at you and I can see why that is quite desirable every now and then.

    I would say for me there are some activities where when I engage in them the time just flies away because you are so focused. It seems like writing a blog post often does that for me. It’s a creative outlet and when I am writing it is my one focus. It is ironic but it is also one of my distractions as I sometimes find myself thinking about what to write on the blog while engaged in other activities.

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      So true Doc, time does go faster when you’re engrossed in an activity and giving it 110% of your mental focus. I’ve reached a flow state while blogging a few times, but it’s pretty rare. I usually have to fight through a post.

  3. remember the old joke about the guy who goes to the doctor after just eating cheetos and watching pornos? i digress.

    sometimes i just read a book printed on paper in a quiet place. there really is something about being outdoors, especially in the solitude of the woods, though. as a bonus, you almost never run into any jerks on the trail who get your blood boiling.

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      Dear WordPress, Freddy Smidlap is one of my regular readers and commenters. Please stop putting his comments in spam. Artificial Intelligence is not really around the corner I guess. That is all.

      As I always say, we have “road rage” because fo the horrendous environment that our car-dominated culture has created, but you never hear of “trail rage” do ya? Or even “bike path rage”. Such things don’t exist because those activities are tranquil, healthy,and good for you.

      And I agree, sometimes I grab a book, get on my bike, and ride to a nice overlook on the Potomac River. Just sit in the grass and read. We have to stop and look in the mirror at how fast and crazy our lives have become and see that we need time for stuff like that.

      • Kate says:

        Absolutely, working out is my mindful activity. Normally that means running, but I also find hiking and kayaking to be great! I never have earbuds in and just focus on the motions and on nature ☺. I can see how your extreme sports (aka life-threatening ones) definitely force you to be in the moment!

        • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

          Going without earbuds is sort of a little lifehack in itself. I’m a music junkie but sometimes it’s best to go without for sure.

  4. For me, that activity is hot yoga. Staying in 95 degree heat with 40% humidity for an hour, working on strength and flexibility takes concentration. Is this extreme? A lot of people who try it say so. For my wife and me, it’s the cleansing we need. It requires focus, builds strength, endurance and improves concentration.

    I used to get that from running. Since my joints can’t take that anymore, hot yoga is a great substitute. I start my day with Scripture and prayer. The combination works for me in the same way your “extreme” sports work for you.

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      I would say a definitive “YES” that hot yoga is extreme. Regular yoga kicks my ass as it is, turning up the heat to me only seems like torture. 🙂 As far as running I still love/hate it, and will continue to use it for mindfulness as long as my joints let me. And I’m open to getting fake ones one day too, why not.

  5. I used to get this with snowboarding and for me it’s been beach volleyball the last 10 years. When I’m there, I’m almost always THERE! A definite flow state. Not so with something like running where the mechanics never change, so I don’t need to think about skill or what I’m doing. So if I need to work stuff out, I run.

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      A fellow snowboarder, woo-hoo! I love boarding Tonya and totally agree. When I’m ripping a steep run with tough terrain I’m totally in the moment and in the “flow” state. Hitting a tree at high speed or going off a cliff is a bad thing so boarding can keep you on your toes for sure.

      You make a great point about running and the mechanics. I agree, you can go on autopilot physically, which lets your mind wander. But I still consider it a different form of mindfulness because the hormones and chemicals being released by the brain put me in a totally different state. I think clearer, and with more depth. Science has proven it clinically too so it’s not just me.

  6. For me, that’s working out at the gym. It turns my mind off for a little while. Yoga and Taichi are great for that too, but I haven’t done it for a long time. Actually, I think almost any physical activity will serve the same purpose. Meditation is good too. I need to put that into my routine. Maybe I can do it after the gym.

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      I agree that pretty much any physical activity should help achieve a state closer to mindfulness. Especially in this day and age where we’ve added every convenience possible to avoid movement and separated ourselves from our past in isolation from nature.

  7. I can connect to this completely – though with slightly less exciting activities. Mindfulness through meditation seems to be all the rage, but you’re right – there are so many other ways to achieve he same reset! I like running and CrossFit, both of which distract me and have me in the moment.

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      Crossfit for sure can demand full attention, especially when you’re considering asking for the puke bucket or not 😉

  8. PFI says:

    This is exactly why I prefer long road rides, preferably with extended climbing, when I’m wrestling with a challenging problem. It’s one of the only ways I’ve found to quiet my otherwise noisy mind and focus on a single topic.

    You captured it so well!

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      “Long Live Long Rides” That’s one of my cycling t-shirts.

      I did a 90 mile, 6 hour ride on Sunday actually and you’re so correct. It’s like entering another world mentally. So many great things get worked out during those rides.

      Thanks for the kudos!

  9. Simple Money Man says:

    Netflix requires extreme focus when you’re trying to narrow down between tons of viewing options. The consequences could be wasted time and mental frustration on a movie or show that sucked. LOL. On a serious note, I prefer all types of sports including football, basketball, tennis, and soccer. The benefits include exercise, a clear mind, strengthened relationships and friendly competition.

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      Ha, love it! Pick the wrong Netflix option and the consequences are dire. Oh what a world we’ve created 🙂

      The friendly competition part is a great thing to point out. Me and my cycling friends go head to head every week. It stays friendly, most of the time 😉

  10. Katie Camel says:

    I used to have headaches every single day, but I attributed them to things like hunger, stress, or exhaustion, and I accepted them as part of life. My acting teacher suggested I read a book titled, “Embracing Your Inner Critic,” so I did, not knowing what it was about. Reading that book changed my life. The authors explain how to embrace and quiet that nagging voice that criticizes everything you do. Once I accepted and quieted my inner critic, the daily headaches stopped. Honestly, I thought it was just me, but now I know that everyone has that voice that always points out all the negativity.

    My inner critic pops up frequently these days, but no longer torments me. Exercise is definitely a great way to ignore that voice because it distracts you from the noise of life AND provides great health benefits. Hey, it releases endorphins too.

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      THANK YOU Katie for the book recco, just looked it up and put a request into my library to get it. If I can silence even half of that inner critic I’d be happy. I guess some inner critic is healthy for motivation, but I think I have too much. Always something to work on…

  11. Reading a book helps with my nagging mind as it requires concentration and focus. But the problem is after reading, I’ve acquired more knowledge and perspective. Then my mind starts racing again, this time with more information, knowledge ad perspective to digest and process.

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      That is a conundrum in a way. More knowledge can indeed mean more chatter. But I’m never gonna stop learning so stopping reading is a no-go.

  12. Oh the mind chatter is constant (though you probably already guessed that about me). Thinking about it now, I don’t think the majority is actually negative for me, but it’s still a lot.

  13. I could not have written this post better myself, every point is how my days go by. Those same things for me from running and MTB to hiking and climbing put my mind in pause mode, the inner voice dials back and I am in the moment. The rest of the time I need mindfulness to get it all in line and silence the inner voice. I became most aware when I read the book, How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life by the Dalai Lama . This was the point of awareness and now that combined with my outdoor pursuits has helped me achieve much in my life.

    Thanks for the shout-out and also again for being part of that blog post on my website ~ Cheers

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      I figured it’d be the same for you Chris. Us nature folks have that part dialed in. Don’t know what I’d do without the outdoors

  14. I totally hear you on this. That mind chatter is relentless and much of it is negative. While I don’t do extreme sports per se, exercise is a great stress reliever. When you’re in the moment during a sprint, or trying to lift those weights for one last rep, the furthest thing from mind is the daily stressors.

  15. Tawcan says:

    I practice mindfulness whenever I swim. When I’m putting kids to bed by holding their hands, I practice mindfulness as well. 🙂

  16. Completely agree with this.

    I often tell my wife that I “can’t turn my brain off,” which I think is my way of saying that I have too much mind chatter. It really bothers me sometimes.

    For me, this is often golf. If you don’t focus for a second, the ball is out of bounds. The focus it takes to make good contact can be intense. Even for golfers who aren’t that great (ahem – me). Particularly if I am playing with a friend I’m trying to beat!

    I’ve also taken a hiatus from technology to help with this. The phone goes on silent. The computer stays inside. And my wife and I just go sit on the back deck. It always starts off shaky at first, but the conversation that eventually happens is almost always freeing and helps me focus on the here and now. It is almost like my form of meditation.

    Thanks for the thought-provoking post!

    TPP

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      I don’t play golf but I can see it taking some serious concentration, at least when you’re making the shots. Not like a few of my friends who apparently just drink during golf 🙂

  17. Travelin'Dad says:

    Got a good laugh at, “Nobody Asked You, Stupid Voice.” I came to your blog for the FI tips, but stay for the humor.

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