Just for Now,
Without asking how, let yourself sink into stillness. 

by Danna Faulds 

It’s such a liberating phrase – ‘just for now’. We don’t say to ourselves often enough – ‘just for now, this is what I’m doing. Just for now, it is enough.’ Instead there can be this sense of ‘Yes, I’m doing this task, but there are plenty of other things I should be doing right now as well.’ Even though we haven’t yet worked out how to clone ourselves and actually carry out all these different tasks simultaneously, we may still feel as if we should. And this way of living can be the cause of a great deal of unnecessary anxiety and angst.

            I’m aware of this when I’m in the garden and notice all the work to be done, instead of (just for now) enjoying the plants which are growing well, and listening to the insects and birds. I’ve even caught myself, when I’m doing an essential task like bringing in the washing, feeling guilty for not doing something else. Perhaps it’s because many of us are trying to cram so many things into our lives – somehow it doesn’t all quite fit, and so we’re constantly playing catch-up. Whatever the reason, it can cause a low-level anxiety which is quite exhausting over time.

            We might pride ourselves on our multi-tasking, but research shows that there is actually no such thing as multi-tasking – we’re constantly switching our attention back and forth, and for each switch we pay the price of losing a little bit of energy and efficiency.

            The opposite of ‘just for now’ is a sense of ‘what if’ or ‘it’s never enough’. How would it feel if, throughout the day, especially at this very busy time of the year, we could instead say to ourselves.

            ‘Just for now, I’m doing this,’ or

            ‘Just for now, I will allow myself a few moments of peace and stillness and contentment.’

Mindfulness practice:

Take a moment to pause several times throughout the day, and say quietly to yourself – ‘just for now, I’m doing this’, or ‘just for now, I pause and rest’. Notice how this feels – could this be something worthwhile to incorporate into your everyday life?

Anja Tanhane

This reflection was first published in 2020 and seems very apt for this time of the year! 🙂