How to stop being clumsy

Accidents happen more and more these days and the majority of them are avoidable. If everyone implemented the strategies in this article to overcome clumsiness, then all accidents will be avoidable.

The days when people gracefully walked around seemingly on clouds, avoiding puddles and always noticing that last step, seem to have ended. Nowadays, people think that they were born clumsy. Our mishaps are embarrassing, painful and sometimes, even fatal. I am confident that I can turn even the clumsiest duckling to the most graceful of swans…and I’m not trippin’.

1. Distractions

The first reason why the generations seem to be getting clumsier is due to technology. We have so many portable devices like cell phones, music players and tablets, that we’re not focusing on what’s in front of us. Multitasking is not the human race’s strong suit. Sadly, I witnessed a woman crossing the street, while staring at her phone, get hit by an 18-wheeler truck. Maybe we can’t walk and chew bubble gum after all.

If you want to not only appear but actually be more graceful, focus your attention ahead of you and not on a screen. With your head up, you’ll be able to see not only where you’re going but also what’s coming towards you. If you’re in a busy city like me, you might feel my frustration at seeing people coming towards you with their nose in the phone as you try to desperately catch their attention so they don’t run into you. Unfortunately, smart technology is dumbing us down.

2. Mindfulness

Being mindful of the present moment is crucial to never be clumsy again. As we go about our day, we are often unaware of anything going on around us because we are consumed in our thoughts. We’re thinking about everything but the present moment until CRASH! You just ran into someone with a drink carrier full of coffee. Ouch.

Being mindful means observing everything around you without judgment. This is hard for many people to do but it gets easier. For example, if carrying a tray or box of fragile items, you may be thinking “Don’t drop it, don’t drop it.” Some may think that’s being mindful since you are focused on the task at hand. Then you end up dropping the items. The fear and anticipation of a future event is what ended up causing the undesired outcome. By simply being present in the moment and noticing WHAT IS and not WHAT COULD BE is how all accidents can be avoided.

3. Daydreaming

In our normal routine, life can seem boring. We did this already yesterday, I should focus my attention elsewhere to avoid the monotony. It’s easy to get into our daydreams and before you know it, you’re in a new world. It’s not until some accident your physical body finds itself in that your mind is snatched back to reality.

It’s easy to succumb into daydreams but it’s also a major cause of clumsiness. Find something interesting in every moment that makes you want to attach to the present. I’m not saying never daydream again; as a writer, those words would never come out my mouth. But perhaps daydreaming while walking down a flight of steps won’t always serve you well.

In movies, clumsiness is often portrayed by actors playing an insecure or “nerdy” role. These are characters who are unsure of themselves and create all of their anxiety. Graceful people don’t think about anything but the present moment; not their fears about what others think, not what could happen in the future and definitely not focusing their present attention on anything in the past. While seemingly different characters, you can decide each morning who you want to be and it comes down to a switch: your attention.