Are you more “Right Brained” or Left Brained?” Most of us, over the course of our lives, have probably heard someone refer to the different hemispheres of the brain as being right and left sided, but how many of us have stopped to think about how each side of the brain controls our every day actions and reactions to the world around us?
The left brain is linear and methodical. It keeps track of the past and the future with no concern for what is going on right now. It’s that little voice that reminds you what time your meeting is, or that your children need to be picked up from school at 2pm sharp! The left hemisphere of your brain is the master organizer of your life!
The right brain is observant and pensive. It knows only what is happening presently and revels in all 5 senses. The right brain has no worries and keeps no schedule while observing every detail of what is going on around us.
With this knowledge, the above question should actually be changed to, which hemisphere of your brain do you pay more attention to? In this fast paced world where technology reigns and free time seems to vanish into thin air, most of us would probably fall into the category of “left brainers.” How many of you are multi tasking at this very moment? (I know you are trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight, picking out clothes for you children to wear for class pictures, and trying to remember when your last vacation was all while trying to read this article!) A continuous reel of “to do’s” seems to run through our heads, with all of their subheadings and run-on sentences, while we systematically go through our days. The left brain is most certainly dominating the activities of our every day lives.
What would happen if we did start to pay more attention to the right hemisphere of our brains? Would the world be more peaceful? Would people be happier? More simply, would we enjoy our jobs more? Appreciate our families more? The great thing is that we are in control, and can choose, to be more observant and pensive. As Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor states in her presentation “My Stroke of Insight,” (Link to video: http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/229), “We have the power to choose, moment by moment, who and how we want to be in the world.”
Now, as Thanksgiving rapidly approaches, it is important to remember that you have the choice of whether or not you live in the moment or get lost in the planning. This time of year is a great time for each of us to practice incorporating our “right brains” into everyday activities. While it is important to make sure the turkey (or faux turkey) is completely cooked, (nothing like salmonella to bring you into the present!) It is equally, if not more, important to consciously appreciate every moment of being with your family and friends, even if the turkey burns.
Ideas for Living in the “Now:”
Keep a gratitude journal-
It’s easy! Get a spiral notebook, open up a word document on your computer, whatever works best for you. You can bullet the things you are grateful for or write sentences. No matter how you do it, you will start thinking about the parts of your day that mean the most!
Hug for at least 10 seconds!
How often do you actually use a hug to connect with someone? Make them count!
Focus! Yep, you’re still reading this article!
Concentrate on what you are doing each moment. If you are playing with your kids, don’t start thinking about what you need to buy Lucy for her birthday! To help; keep a notepad close where you can write down those random thoughts that run through your head. Once you write them down you can focus on the task at hand and refer back to your notepad when needed.
