Lessons In MicroMoments

There are micro-moments of beauty and love when we open our eyes to the world and look. The problem is that we, midlife women, aren’t always totally aware of them as we often live in our own bubble. As a result, we often miss the opportunity to notice the details of our experience and then find greater choice in shaping the lives we wish to live.

Recognising them, however, it’s not that easy.

Micro moments are microscopic openings in time- explains Cindy Chou, MA, a speaker, facilitator, coach, and founder of the Micromoments Institute. They are instances that take hold of our attention and invite us to dwell in the present, rather than in the past, future, or a state of mindlessness. A block of time and a unit of perception that may run from seconds to minutes, within which we may notice the richness of the present moment. They are a snippet of time, when we suddenly recognize what is happening in front of us. Micromoments are an entryway into active awareness and the awe that’s all around us.

There are several ways to improve this awareness, but usually, the best one is cultivating a mode of openness, curiosity, non-judgment, and integration. How? By changing how we pay attention throughout our day rather than trying to fit something extra in, and the subsequent choices we make. In this way, we might be able to learn something about ourselves and shift the interactions we have with others and how we shape our days.

The PEACE framework created by Cindy Chou might provide us with examples of how to optimize well-being within micro-moments.

According to her, integrating a pause throughout our day trains the ability to cultivate a micro-moments mindset on a regular basis. While by taking some time to explore our internal and external stimuli; our strengths, reactions and emotions, we might realise what are the barriers that distract us from being more fully engaged, connected, and flourishing. The PEACE framework is not complete without acceptance and choices. That means that we have to consider a “yes” day in our life, without judgment as well as choose to take a break from our usual routine, whether by connecting with someone or doing something that lights us up.

Of course, consistency is key. “Make it your priority to know that your day is a series of micro moments – she explains in her research- and thereby a series of choices that you can make to stay grounded, connected, and well. Being intentional about how you want to enter into the next micro-moment, again and again, may bring about individual moments of awareness that ripple out to affect others“.