This month our topic of discussion is mindfulness.
As part of my mental health journey, I have been studying different ways to practice mindfulness in my daily life. Something I ran into early on was this romanticized idea of mindfulness. You know what I’m talking about, all those videos and social media posts of folk doing yoga in beautiful scenic settings, soaking in a claw foot bathtub with flowers floating in the water or meditating with a bunch of expensive candles surrounding them.
Not that there is anything inherently wrong with this, but it isn’t the only way to practice mindfulness. I like a good bath as much as the next person and meditation is proving to be useful. However, part of my practice is a certain video game. Animal Crossing.
Well Animal Crossing: New Leaf, I still don’t own a Switch, unfortunately. It holds up rather well if you ask me.
This game allows you to escape reality to a more simple life. A life where you gently progress by simply living rather than rushing to get everything done by an arbitrary time limit, like in real life. Yes, you do need to pay Tom Nook back, but he gives you all the time in the world to do so. If only that was the way it worked in real life, things would be a lot better.
This game allows you to escape reality to a more simple life. A life where you gently progress by simply living rather than rushing to get everything done by an arbitrary time limit, like in real life. Yes, you do need to pay Tom Nook back, but he gives you all the time in the world to do so. If only that was the way it worked in real life, things would be a lot better.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf is all about living in the moment, which is what mindfulness is all about. It’s not only relaxing but for me at least, it’s a daily reminder to be present in the present. The villagers even tend to remind you to take breaks and look after yourself.
Speaking of reminders, let’s not forget Katrina’s words of wisdom.
And remember that bad times…. are just times that are bad
For me, mindfulness is also about being able to accept change and move on. As Katrina suggests, time moves on. Things aren’t always pleasant, but the nasty stuff isn’t always present. We can’t control the chaos going on around us, but we can control how we react to it. We can control our emotions, reflect on these incidents and learn from them.
At times like these, practising mindfulness is invaluable. Again, do not think that you need to follow others. Find what works for you and stick with it. For me, that’s playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf and baths.
Thank you so much for reading this month’s OWLS post! If you liked it be sure to keep an eye out for Jack’s post about March Comes in Like a Lion.
Nerd Rambles 
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