Writing mindfully can help you cultivate a sense of equanimity and focused mind-state. Even if you find yourself writing about the past or the future - maintain an awareness that you are thinking about the past and the future, and subsequently writing about it in the present moment.

One way you can do this is to s l o w  d o w n your writing and hone in on details you previously thought of as mundane. The pattern on his shirt. The smell in the air. The feel of the rug beneath your feet. The temperature in the room.

You can also write with your non-dominant hand. This strengthens your creativity, activates the opposite hemisphere of your brain, and lead you to non-habitual insights. And it too will s l o w  y o u  d o w n.

Use one or more of these focal points to help you stay present:

• Notice your natural breath as you write.
• Be aware of your sense of sight as you write - see the paper or screen as you scribe your experience.
• Feel the sensation of the pen or keyboard as you type.
• Notice your feet on the floor as you journal.

This is very different from rumination - telling your story on autopilot. If you do revisit a familiar topic, approach it as though it were the first time. Remember, mindfulness is about widening your field of awareness, which can lead you to new insights.