Self-Help Reminders: An Easy Way to Cultivate Awareness
Do you set reminders on your iPhone or PC, so that you do not forget about work meetings, medical appointments, relatives’ birthdays and other important tasks?
And what about self-help reminders that help you to stay grounded, optimistic, creative and focused throughout the day?
I have plenty of these around my house. They might not make sense to anyone except for me, but they help me to cultivate awareness and stay focused on things I would most likely forget to do.
For example, I have a note by my laptop that says, “Remember to blink”. I put it there after I read that we tend to blink less when we look at a computer screen or a TV monitor, which makes our eyes feel tired and irritated and strained. Reminding myself to take a few minutes and just blink rapidly is one of my resolutions to keep my vision from declining again.
There is also a big poster in my bathroom that says, “The poor long for riches, the rich long for heaven, but only the wise long for tranquility”. It is hard to explain why, but this quote by Swami Rama leaves me feeling peaceful and relaxed at the end of the day.
Maybe you have such reminders around your house as well?
I recently walked into my friend’s office and saw a piece of paper attached to the wall that said, “Find a way”. Chris told me that whenever he was facing a problem or had to make an important decision, staring at the blank wall in front of him, made him feel even more stuck. Having a sign there that said “Find a way” had helped him to stay focused on possible solutions and stay more productive.
This is not as strange as it may seem at a first glace.






