When you are distressed, simply note that something has gone.
from Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Timothy Ferriss
Chase-Meng “Meng” Tan is a Google pioneer, award-winning engineer, best-selling author, and meditation guru. He says this important practice brings relief when we are in physical pain, emotional distress, and/or mental confusion. By concentrating on the fact that each sensory insult passes, micro-relief is constantly available. We then gain greater awareness of the absence of pain (physical/emotional/mental) and chaos and disorientation gradually disappear.
How to Apply This
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Notice that something previously experienced is no more. It has faded away.
This might be a breath, a sound, a thought, an emotion. -
Whenever all or part of a sensory experience suddenly disappears, note that.
Clearly acknowledge when you detect the transition point between all of it being present and at least some of it no longer being present. -
If you wish, use a mental label such as ‘gone’ to help you notice endings.
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Just keep hanging out until something vanishes.
If nothing goes away for a while, that’s fine. -
If you start worrying about the fact that nothing is ending, note that.
Note each time that thought ends. If you have a lot of mental sentences you will have a lot of ‘gone’ labels.
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