Conscious Connections: What They Are and What Are Their Benefits

You may be wondering what this is conscious connections

For us, for happiens, it is one of the six fundamental areas of personal growth along with purpose, self-knowledge, vital flexibility, healthy living and quality time.

The nature of conscious connections

Conscious connections encompass such essential aspects as attentional focus, willpower, intention, assertive communication, empathy…

Ultimately, this term refers to a life connected to the present and oriented towards mono-tasking, in contrast to the prevailing multitasking. It consists of the interactions and connections we make on a personal, social and work level, occurring from awareness and presence, both in the digital and in-person environments.

This term is also a way of uniting the word consciousness (something ethereal and abstract) with the current and tangible world of new technologies, a world of mostly digital connections; a hyperstimulated and hyperactive world that by inertia can lead us to overload and non-consciousness (or low awareness) in day-to-day decisions, reactions and communications.

An authentic and real connection, a conscious connection, requires a certain time, depth and attention. Think for a moment about the people or activities with which you feel most connected… Only by uniting these three elements can we truly connect with others and with what we do.

What effects does it have on quality of life?

Think about it for a moment. When we dedicate time and attention to something, we go deeper into it, and that allows us to connect authentically.

If we relate to the world and to others from superficiality and immediacy we will hardly feel fulfilled We will hardly be able to deal with our emotions and problems, or we will do so from reactivity and impulsivity, generated by automaticity, urgency and instantaneousness. We will be dependent on the environment, instead of acting from calm and will.

The importance of attention

One of the three elements that has been mentioned is attention and it is surely the most important of all. Attention is fundamental in everything we do and feel, since it is the psychic energy that orders and directs our activity. Attention is what allows the rest of the cognitive and emotional processes to occur and be coordinated with a common goal.

However, our attention usually oscillates involuntarily, attracted by novelty and the most powerful stimuli in the environment or our mind, if we do not consciously manage it. We spend most of the time thinking about the past or the future and we lose the opportunity to take advantage of the present, which is actually the only thing we can act on and the most real thing we have.

In that sense, there is a tool or technique that everyone knows, at least by name, that allows, among other things, to train attention in order to lead a more full and conscious life: Mindfulness

The characteristics of Mindfulness

Although most of the concepts and techniques that Mindfulness encompasses have their origin in ancient traditions such as Buddhism, it was not until the 70s and 80s when, based on the work of John Kabat-Zinn and the popularization of his group program “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction” this term began to be used as it is understood today.

There are many different definitions of Mindfulness but at happiens we especially like Kabat-Zinn’s own which says that “mindfulness consists of bringing attention to the internal and external experiences of the present moment, accepting them without judging.”

In the last decade, Mindfulness has experienced enormous growth, reaching practically every corner of the planet and all environments and areas of our lives. This enormous popularization is due in part to the large scientific base that supports the enormous benefits of mindfulness.

The physical, psychological and emotional changes that it produces, have been verified and demonstrated over and over again in studies of very different types and in countries around the world. By providing this scientific basis and credibility to the practices and techniques that were already known and experienced, a powerful symbiosis has been created between science and tradition that has concluded in a firm consolidation of mindfulness as a transversal and fundamental tool to improve well-being and self-knowledge. And all from attention training.

Mind-wandering

In relation to attention, although on a side almost opposite to that of Mindfulness, we find a phenomenon called mind-wandering, which allows us to reaffirm the enormous influence of this cognitive capacity on our lives.

Mind-wandering does not have a specific translation, it would be something like the wandering mind or the wandering of the mind. Refers to all those moments in which the mind works “alone” and jumps from one topic to another, without any apparent order or interest. They are those situations in which we remember random things from the past that come to us or we think about the future, but without a specific objective or goal, simply wandering, speculating or revisiting moments involuntarily.

According to some studies, Mind-wandering accounts for 50% of total mental activity during the time we are awake and it appears mainly when we do routine or highly automated activities (running, driving, showering…), which allow the mind to have a space to connect apparently unconnected concepts, question pre-established ideas or simply imagine other possible lives. It is a mental activity that can promote creativity and humor, but also rumination and disconnection from the present, from the surrounding reality.

Therefore, we see that it has a positive and a negative side: from the positive side, it helps us go beyond routine, to imagine new possibilities that we can then try to achieve, laugh, get excited, have brilliant and innovative ideas…; From the negative side, it can lead us to dispersion, unrealism or lack of concentration.

Mind-wandering is a controversial phenomenon very present in our lives and It is directly related to consciousness, well-being and happiness

In fact, Killingsworth and Gilbert investigated, using a mobile application, the relationship between happiness and mind-wandering in real time in the lives of several thousand people and found that it is associated with lower levels of happiness. That is, in most cases the participants reported feeling happier or simply better when they were busy doing activities or tasks, instead of just resting or doing nothing concrete. On the other hand, they also found that there was an increase in mind-wandering when people were bored, sad or stressed.

In conclusion…

In conclusion, it can be stated that Living a conscious and connected life from presence is a fundamental ingredient for our well-being

In addition, we will be more effective and will be able to do more things, with better results and feeling better. Conscious connections are a way of being and relating to the world, with what we do and with others, which allows us to live in the present and make the most of it.