Wonderful link about the power of being mindfull

I absolutely love this link on the Huffington Post about the power of being mindful.

I love my current patient population.  I work with some incredibly thoughtful, creative, and active patients.  One common trend I see, however, is that because they so talented, they are often spread thin, and they have too many responsibilities.

I certainly relate, and one of my main motivations for leaving academia was to create a simpler life for myself that focused on what I considered really important, which was family, health, my dog, nature, exercise, and kindness.

I think there were some key elements the author hit that I think are essential for health:
1. Stay on task.  We can't actually multi-task.  Very smart people can give the illusion of multi-tasking, but multi-tasking creates a drag on efficiency, and it's exhausting.

2. Allow your mind to wander.  Build time into your day to do nothing.   Practice meditation to really embrace that nothingness.

3. Get outside and walk.  This is the greatest gift my dog Bucky gives me (..... besides his love, of course) - reminder that the way we are biologically designed to discharge our autonomic nervous system is by getting outside and walking.  While Bucky may be more animated when he starts getting fidgety from a lack of exercise, humans have the same autonomic reaction.  We need that discharge to recalibrate our system.

4. Enjoy the moments and reflect.  I find this especially enjoyable living in the Pacific Northwest.  Living in such a lush environment with water, flora, and mountains is beautiful.  Take time to enjoy it.  It's such a privilege to be around so many bright, thoughtful, and varied people.  Express gratitude for living in a world where you can engage with them.

Embrace simplicity!