Have you ever found yourself at the bottom of a bag of chips without realizing how you got there?
Or finished a workout session only to realize you can barely recall the exercises you did?
These scenarios illustrate living on autopilot, a common state where we go through daily activities without conscious awareness.
Different studies suggest that the average person spends between 47 and up to 95% of their waking hours on autopilot!
Thinking about something other than what they’re doing at the moment.
Before I read about this stuff, I had no idea I was so unaware.
What an awakening it was to snap out of it.
While autopilot can help manage routine tasks, it often leads us to make less than optimal decisions about our diet and fitness.
Keep reading to find out how shifting from autopilot to being present can not only enhance your dietary choices and workout effectiveness, but also improve your overall well-being.
So what exactly is autopilot?
When we are on autopilot we perform actions without conscious thought, from brushing our teeth to driving to work.
It’s efficient for routine tasks but means we’re not fully engaged with our actions.
It can also be conditioned behaviors, such as our hand going to our pocket, taking out our phone and start swiping on social media.
All of a sudden we notice we spent half an hour swiping, when we never intended to do that in the first place.
Breathing, an essential task, is something we mostly do on autopilot, but often shallow and ineffective.
Our brains default to autopilot to save energy.
For mundane tasks, this mode demands less cognitive effort, but at the expense of attention and engagement.
Living on autopilot can lead to mindless eating, unbalanced meals, anxiety, or ineffective workouts because we're not paying attention to our body's cues or the quality of our actions.
It can also cause us to miss out on life's moments and potentially lead to choices that don't align with our deeper goals and values.
Opposite to autopilot is being present.
Being present, or mindfulness, involves actively paying attention to our current experiences, observing thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment.
This includes being aware of the taste and texture of food, our body’s response during exercise, and even our emotional reactions throughout the day.
Presence or mindfulness helps improve dietary habits by encouraging us to notice when we’re full, preventing us from overeating.
We also enjoy our meals more since we actually taste it instead of chugging it down in three bites.
During training, being present increases the effectiveness of workouts by ensuring proper form and muscle use, which can lead to better results and fewer injuries.
Overall, being present and taking control of your actions can enhance mental clarity, emotional balance, and decision-making.
Here are a few practical tips and strategies to shift from autopilot to being more present:
Mindfulness Techniques: Practice mindful eating by savoring each bite, or at least put your phone away. During exercise, focus on your breathing and the movement of your body to enhance connectivity and performance.
Setting Intentions: Begin each day with a clear intention. Whether it’s fully engaging in a meal without distractions or concentrating during a workout, intentions help guide mindful actions.
Digital Detox: Regularly unplugging from digital devices helps decrease distractions, fostering greater presence in both personal interactions and solitary activities.
Journaling and Reflection: Maintain a journal to reflect on your experiences. This can help you become more aware of when you slip into autopilot and encourage more mindful engagement.
Grounding Exercises: Set random alarms on your smartwatch or phone throughout the day to snap out of autopilot. Start by observing your breath. Then focus on where you are, how you are feeling and what you are doing.
Doing Nothing: In today’s world we are always busy doing something, whether working, training, eating, watching tv or swiping on social media.
--> Try this: Plan an hour where you don’t do anything. Just you in a room. Yes, you are not allowed to have your phone. Observe what thoughts come to mind and how you feel without judgement. You can also try going on walks without your phone, no music or other gadgets, and connect more with nature.
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