Today’s Excerpt:

How do you feel right now?

Have you ever just felt “off”?

We all have.

What do you do when it happens to you?

One thing you can do is to be aware of your surroundings — and how you feel inside.

• Is the place you’re in too loud? Too distracting?
• Are you hungry? Tired? Thirsty?
• Are you stressed out by a thought that keeps popping into your head like a pesky fly?

Put simply: What is happening right now?

Here’s a simple trick you can use if you want to notice what’s happening. Ask yourself what you see, hear, and feel.

Try it wherever you are.

• What do you see in your surroundings right now?
• What do you hear in your surroundings right now?
• What do you feel inside right now?

By giving your full attention to that question, you can start to separate what is happening from what you choose to do about what’s happening.

You realize that no matter what’s happening — no matter how irritating a sibling might be, for instance — you get to choose your reaction. But it all starts with noticing what’s happening right now.

Noticing what’s happening is called mindfulness.