In times of great stress I've done some really stupid things because I was so caught up in worry that my mind wasn't going with my actions. I was doing routine things mindlessly. I hope you've never been that upset for a prolonged period like I was. I was enmeshed in the second custody battle within a 5 year period, it lasted for 18 months, & it seemed like every other day I got more nasty mail that my lawyer had to pass on. So I'd go to get the milk out of the refrigerator & find the coffee pot instead. I'd open a cupboard & find the milk. I was so unaware of how out of it I was that it always took me by surprise. Instead of being in the moment, being present in what I was doing, I was so stressed that you could literally say I wasn't in my right mind. I caught myself doing things like that nearly a year ago, just before my marriage ended. But at least I caught myself while doing these things rather than being totally unaware. Most of us don't live under that kind of stress. These are extreme examples. Now to more common behaviors.
Ok, I'm going to assume that most readers are fairly organized people & have a certain place where they put things like purses, glasses, keys, etc. How about those times when you put something down & forget where you put it? Maybe you got distracted while carrying something & set it down, then forgot & left it. I did that the other day with my diabetes monitor. I rushed to the phone while testing, & ended up carrying part of it with me. I forgot it after the call, & later couldn't find it. That's an example of not being in the moment. Eventually I figured out where it was by thinking back to the last time I had it. Of course, that was after looking in all the places I thought possible. My mind had been present in my activity up until the phone rang, so I was finally able to remember being interrupted by the phone. When I went to where I'd had the phone at the time (by the bed for once, because I'd been expecting an important call), there it was. Not too bad, no consequences other than some inconvenience until I figured it out.
A couple of weeks ago I had severe consequences from not being mentally present while I did a routine activity. Because of various health concerns, I take medicines 5 times a day. I have one of those pill boxes set up for a week with 4 times a day & then supplement it with cute little Tupperware (of course) containers. On the day in question I forget what I was thinking about but I can tell you it was nothing important. I think it was simply the next thing I was planning to do. I dumped my morning pills into my hand, which includes a blood pressure pill & one that slows my heart rate. Those are the really important ones for me to take. Two of them fell to the counter, those 2. So I picked them up & took them, plus what was in my hand. As soon as I'd done it I realized that I'd taken 2 each of the blood pressure & heart rate pills. I check the slots & sure enough, one for another day had come open & those 2 were missing. If I'd been just a little more present, I would have realized it before taking double. The only thing I could think to do was make myself spit them back up. Well, that's easier said than done! I spent the next hour trying, including finding a bottle of Ipecac & taking it. I ended up making myself so sick & so sore, & never did get them up! I was sick all day & didn't get anything done, & could barely do anything the next day because my ribs were so sore it hurt to breathe. All because I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing while doing it.
I certainly learned my lesson on that one. I'm not going to say that I'm always thinking about what I'm doing 100% of the time, because my mind almost always multitasks. It's the way I'm built. But I can tell you that I've done my best to eliminate worry that keeps me from being present when I do things. I try even harder now to keep my mind on what I'm doing & stay in the moment. When we stay in the moment, we get to enjoy what's going on around us. We're more in touch with ourselves, what we're feeling, our needs, our reactions. We experience more because we're truly experiencing what's happening at the time. Going somewhere else in your mind means you're body is present but your mind isn't. Abuse & rape victims know this well. If you aren't present in your mind with what you're doing & what's going on around you, you're only half there & you're missing out. So try to let the immediate as well as the far future happen & enjoy the present!
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