Credits
Living on autopilot is the opposite of living mindfully. Being mindful is defined as paying attention, on purpose, in the present, without judgment (Jon Kabat-Zinn). So, living on autopilot means going through the day without noticing the details of every moment. An example is driving somewhere and arriving at your destination; you realize you can not remember anything about the trip.
Do not be harsh on yourself if you live on autopilot. Survival instinct designed our brains to go through stressful times on autopilot. When we were still hunter-gatherers, we had to perform complex tasks quickly to survive an attack by a vicious animal that wanted to eat us. The brain does not want to give us time to analyze, making us too slow to react and potentially lead us to be eaten.
In times of life and death situations, it is ok to be on autopilot. But these times are luckily rare.
So here are seven reasons why living on autopilot is not ideal:
1. You miss the finer details in life. There are many small pleasures in every moment if we can notice it. When you are mindful, you observe your first cup of coffee, every drop on your face when you shower, how your child laughs, etc.
2. Just as you miss the small pleasures, you will also miss subtle warning signs. The way your fingers tingle before you get a panic attack, the types of thoughts you have before you become depressed. And then, when the depression or panic attack strikes you, you are unprepared.
3. Your life is boring and predictable because you follow your routine without thinking about it.
4. You rush the whole time, and it is uncomfortable to sit still and be with yourself. You are always looking for distraction and may even unconsciously thrive on a crisis.
5. You feel your life is flying by without enjoying it. You have lost control and have no clear plans or things to look forward to.
6. Because you do not spend time with yourself, you do not know what you want. And also, because you do not have time, you say yes to everything.
7. You get no rest. Being bored feels unbearable, and you feel restless. The moment you have a spare minute, you browse social media or look for other mindless distractions.
The antidote to autopilot is mindfulness. Watch my video on Youtube about The Triangle of Awareness.