TLDR: Being present doesn't just = sitting in silence

Your brain is a gateway 🌌

Hey there!

DD HQ here. What if we told you that being *in the present moment* doesn't only = sitting in silence (waiting for your timer to go off)?

Often mindfulness is associated with meditation, but it's much broader than that. At its truest essence, being mindful is simply having conscious, non-judgemental awareness of your thoughts. It's moving through life with intention, rather than running on the hamster wheel, wondering where the time has gone

For good reason, a major message that has infiltrated the mental well-being world is that if we just remove all the noise and be okay with what is, we'll find a sense of inner calm. While that's true in part, these messages also tell us that if we're in anything but the present moment something is wrong. If looking backwards, we're sad. If we're looking ahead, we're anxious. 

But, from a scientific perspective - that's not the full story. In fact, reflecting about the past + imagining the future are two important ways to feel more present, and even more, cope what's in front of us.

At DD, we often talk about the power of being in the creative flow (in our view, it's the most accessible way to experience presence). But, we see our entire creative brains as a gateway - and that means tapping into its fullest potential.

Think about it this way: during COVID lockdowns, many of us weren't okay with the present moment. We were surrounded by death, chaos and struggle. Disassociating from our current reality wasn't possible.

Naturally, many of us turned to nostalgic activities instead - from playing old games to watching old videos of our former lives. You may not have realized it then, but nostalgia is a deeply powerful way to support our mental health. It increases optimism, connection and a sense of purpose.

On the other-hand, some of us also spent time imagining what we'd do when quarantine was over (👋🏼). Dreaming about a future that doesn't yet exist, or in essence, tapping into our imagination, does wonders for our well-being - like enhancing our openness and cognitive flexibility.

Both of these practices - nostalgia and imagination - are our creative brains at work. While being fully immersed in the here & now is important, it's not the only way to look out for our mental health. In fact, it's leaving out many aspects of our beautiful, powerful brains. 

Let's wake up the infinite possibility of our mindful potential, together. Here's to creative thinking, no matter if we're living in the past, present or future 🛸

Katina + Dupi

and the entire team @ DD HQ

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An idea to noodle on 💭

Your brain is a gateway

THINK ON THIS: Creative practice allows us to tap into the full spectrum of our brain. At a baseline, creativity is the ultimate form of self-expression, which helps us translate our unconscious + conscious thoughts into the physical realm. Being able to process what we think actually helps us be more mindful in our everyday.

…MAYBE NOT THAT: Meditating isn't the only way to be mindful. Learning, creative expression, savoring, reflecting + spending time in nature are just some of the practices that allow us to become more aware of our thoughts + emotions. Cool part? It's all the stuff we practice @ DD 🧠

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Inside our brains at DD HQ  🧠

Fascinating take on invention versus adoption - what happens when we've created the answers to our problems, but we don't implement them? Off topic, but research says some of our brains are wired to believe in paranormal activity. Makes us wonder what else they're wired to do? The iPod is gone, but in its wake it changed everything we know about listening to music. Interesting q - but does creativity repulse you? Romanticizing your life is a trend we can get behind (in science, it's called savoring).

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Ideas from the DD Crew 🛸

Get Early Access so you can join our private discord channel. We get into some deep chats about mental health, what we’re creating, mindfulness and more with our HQ team, co-founders + the awesome Daydreamers community. Sneak peek: we share unedited pictures of what we’re creating, what we’re reading RN + our complicated relationship with technology.