Mindfulness & Mania

Mindfulness is part of DBT. Essentially, its what you probably think it is: paying attention. But its more than just paying attention. Its paying attention to both the good and the bad and letting them be what they are and then moving on. Its paying attention to the little things- being present in the moment, and moving from moment to moment. It is the opposite of multitasking. (In fact, a study proved that you actually get less done when you multitask.) A definition I found online says, "Mindfulness: a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique".

So today, I was at Lowe's home store. I needed to use the restroom and had to walk quite a ways to find it. Suddenly, I found myself wandering down one of their big isles, feeling the vastness of those isles, noticing the nuances of the colors, the textures of the metal cans, the fuzziness of the brushes.... I had a thought: This is a lot like when I'm manic- but I'm not! Lots of times when I get manic, I like to touch things for their textures, or taste things for the nuances, for example, because they are so heightened. I will run my fingers across the mortar between bricks, for example, just to feel the heightened sensations. So how are these things alike? Aren't they contradictory to each other? Being manic is bad, isn't it? Being mindful is good! The difference is this: Walking down that isle I felt at peace because my mind was on that one thing only: That isle in the store and my walking through it. No other thoughts were in my head. I was in the moment. I guess if I think about it, in mania, I am the opposite: not in control; not in the moment, but the moment takes me along with it. The question is: Can I be mindful next time I'm manic?