Specific: I forgot to book the table for dinner. That's really inconvenient. I should have written it down. I really wish I hadn't forgotten.
Global: I always forget important things. This is further proof of my general uselessness. I'm a waste of space.
It's the global judgements that do the real harm, that lead us into a morass of negativity and that are distorted, exaggerated and unhelpful (at best) or dangerous (at worst).
When you practise mindfulness you
- get better at spotting that speedy transition from the specific to the global and
- can pull back to the specific
- or, better, back to an awareness of what it would help to do next.
How? Some or all of these will help:
- Bring your attention to your breathing.
- Notice the feeling of your feet against the floor or ground.
- Rest your attention on whatever task you are performing.
