Being someone who's usually caught up in my thoughts, I’m finding the ability to ‘step-back’ from autopilot really useful.
Earlier I found myself verging on a family argument about Fortnite. Luckily I was detached, watching my thoughts and emotions play out as if on a cinema screen. Whilst experiencing the situation I was able to assess it, run a variety of scenarios and decide on constructive action all within a split second.
I struggle to describe this ‘stepping-back’ – metacognitive awareness - in words. The concept is experiential, like for example being drunk or falling in love. Once it has happened, I know.
There is a simple meditation exercise that can cultivate it, which I’ll talk about in the next blog.
Author: JD