I have been asking myself, “Are there more rabbits this year or am I just paying more attention to wildlife?” Unless there’s some scientific anomaly going on, I assume the answer is the latter. I have seen memes circulating about quarantine turning us all into amateur birdwatchers. I hate to be a trend follower, but I must admit that I just bought this adorable pineapple-shaped hummingbird feeder and nearly lept off my seat when I saw the first one come visit!
In following the silver-lining message of my blog from last month, I think that our being forced to slow down within the past few months has presented an opportunity for observation of our surroundings, which is certainly a form of mindfulness.
As I was discussing this observation with my friend, Amy Lawson, brought up a valid point regarding the hardships that people are going through currently. She noted that due to these distressing situations, many of us may have not been as focused on the cardinal outside the window. I agree with this point wholeheartedly and … I also see this slowing down and observing the wildlife (or fill in the blank) as a useful intervention or strategy for managing the difficult situations. Mindfulness, whether it be formal meditation or informal observation has been shown in numerous studies to improve overall mental health.
With that, I challenge you to take a walk around your neighborhood and try to take note of just how many adorable rabbits you see!