Step One

Sometimes we can be so absorbed in our busy lives that it's almost as if our minds act without our consciousness, leaving the autopilot in full command. The autopilot allows us to extend the working memory by creating habits. Meaning that if we repeat something more than a couple of times, the brain can complete tasks with very little input from the conscious mind at all. If you are fully aware, then you maintain greater control of your automatic pilot and can use it to utilize habits as you need them. But you can very easily lose conscious control, and one habit can end up triggering the next, which triggers the next ... and the next.

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Without you noticing, habits can take control of your life by provoking negative thoughts and feelings that can become patterns which intensify your emotions. Before you know it, the consequences of these habits will cause you overwhelmingness and be too strong to contain. At this point, there is a very low possibility of escaping this process by thinking your way out. Therefore, you need to find a way of stepping outside the cycle almost as soon as you notice it has begun. This step will help you become aware of when your autopilot is taking over, so that you can be more in control of your life and your choices. To start your journey by involving mindfulness in your daily life, we have to start at the basics: relearn how to focus your awareness on one thing at a time.