Your Zen minute: Obstacles, challenges, annoyances — they’re nobody’s favorite part of life, but they’re not all bad either. When a problem pops up again and again, stop and ask why. Even if change isn’t possible right now, what can the shape of the problem tell you about the shape of your life?

How is it going? Are you gaining any insight from last week’s exercises or experiencing any “aha!” moments? Mindfulness isn’t something that happens overnight — it takes time and practice. But the benefits are so worth it, especially in times like these. Stick with it!

Here are your Week 3 daily exercises:

Notice “I” Today, throughout the whole day, try to be aware of every time you use “I” in a sentence. This exercise forces us to focus on how self-centered we are. It could be quite surprising to realize just how often you use “I.”

Cause and effect Choose an appropriate amount of time — maybe an hour — depending on your day. During that time, think about cause and effect with every action you take. It sounds easy enough, but you will be surprised how many things you do in an hour. For example: You want to write something. Picking up a pen will cause the ink to flow to the bottom, and then moving the nib of the pen across paper will leave a mark. Become more aware of everything you do just in that time frame.

Mindful movie Next time you watch a movie or TV, observe how you become engrossed in the story. Take mental notes of the emotions you experience throughout the movie or show and how they change. How does your posture change? Do you tense up at times?

Candle staring Find a nice candle. Wait until it’s dark and you have some time for yourself. Switch off the lights and just stare at the flame for 10 minutes straight while studying everything you can about it. When your mind wanders, be aware of where it’s going, and then bring it back to the flame.

Mindful love The next time you are alone, write down as many positive traits about yourself as you can. Note everything you love about yourself: your ambitions, purpose, strengths. Reread this list lots of times over the next week. After a while, you will notice a change. Normally we seek praise from external sources. What if we heard it from ourselves more often?

Challenge your beliefs Take a belief you’ve held for a long time and pretend you believe the exact opposite for a few minutes. Notice how you feel when you do this. The stronger your belief, the more effective this is. How do you feel having to fight from the other corner? There are no right or wrong answers here. Just aim to understand where other people are coming from.

Change your language Right at this moment, take notice of your language. Think of the words you use as though they are food — you want to nourish your subconscious with healthy language choices. Instead of “Don’t miss the bus” (which the brain registers as negative), try “Let’s be early for the bus today.” That registers as a positive thought. Notice how your body responds.

Thanks for reading! If you’re trying this challenge, we would love to hear from you. Let us know how it’s going at shorelines@northshorebank.com. —Pat Ingelse, AVP, PMP