Finishing up this course on Mindfulness, here is what Noom has to say on the subject along with my own thoughts and examples:
Make it and event - All too often we grab a meal on the fly and scarf it down while running from one errand to another, or one meeting to the next. Whenever possible, make it a point to cook your meal (or choose food you've prepared in advance), put your food on a plate, grab a hold of cutlery, and sit down at a table to eat. Simply making a meal an event can help make it more mindful.
For us this weekend, eating at home will be an event. The kitchen is finally complete enough to accomplish this task. In general, we sit at the table to eat dinner. Being a great room, however, the TV is on and viewable. Maybe time to turn it off and enjoy each others company. After all, Valentine's day is not the only day couples need to be sharing.
Cutlery? I get it. It sounds better than silverware. Especially since silverware is actually stainless steel. (The real silverware is tarnished and in a box somewhere.) Ricky likes to use real napkins. We have tons. Just need to take the time to iron a couple.
Which takes us to the next step:
Remove distractions - Having the TV on in the background, scrolling through your phone, or reading the newspaper while eating takes your attention away from your meal. Put away all distractions and focus on your food.
As I mentioned before, we need to turn off the TV. Phones are definitely a problem too. Especially, since my work is constantly reaching out to me. But to be honest I am usually reading the news, blogs, or social media. It can all wait for thirty minutes. As for a newspaper, isn't that quaint. They don't exist. When we moved in the old residents subscription to the local paper, The Desert Sun, was still going. It was a one section wonder, wonder why they bothered. And it was the middle of summer, believe it or don't, the pages were already aging for lying on the hot driveway. But that's not the point. Remove distraction and pay attention to you meal. Live in the moment.
Chew your food - Chewing your food can be a great way to slow down and engage your senses - two important components of mindfulness. Chewing your food can also help you know when to stop eating, since it takes some time to register your fulness.
Yea, right! This one always make me thing of my grandmother. She consciously chewed her food and counted how many times, I think it was 25 or 50 before swallowing each bit. It took her hours to eat anything. I think what we are really after here is to slow down. Don't eat like "someone is going to take it away from you", another expression my husband likes to use. Take your time and enjoy.
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