Everyday Mindfulness Guide
Ancient Eastern mindfulness practices like meditation have become increasingly popular all over the world during recent years. And the word mindfulness itself has become a solid part of our modern vocabulary.
Truth be told, the ever increasing pace and high pressure of our day-to day lives is probably one good reason for why more and more people long for a few moments of peace and quite in between busy schedules and ongoing to-do list.
But what is it about this mysterious, yet down-to-earth practice that we are so captivated by?
What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the ability to be present, conscious and aware. However, most of us spend out time worried, stressed or busy, which means spending lots of time in our heads. Being and feeling mindful, on the other hand, means tuning into our body instead, and observing our thoughts and emotions without necessarily reacting to them. Mindfulness means cultivating grounding presence in the given moment, being conscious of our inner world and slowly bringing awareness to the body and not giving the monkey-mind in our head too much attention.
Meditation As A Mindfulness Practice
Meditation is a great tool and a grounding practice to help us cultivate just that: presence, awareness and consciousness. But before we proceed any further, I would like to point out that meditation is often misunderstood as a relaxing activity. However, for most of us, meditation can be a challenging practice: because we are so accustomed to reacting and getting carried away by every thought in our mind, letting go and reconnecting with our body and our breath can be unusually difficult.
With that said, meditation is wonderful practice that has been scientifically proven to improve our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing in multiple ways. To name a few:
Increases oxygen in your body
Aids in vitamin absorption and overall digestion
Helps coping with stress, anxiety and depression
Balances hormones
Slows down aging
Increases your mind-body connection
Lowers heart rate and blood pressure
Personally, I can tell you that a regular meditation practice absolutely changed my life for the better regarding many areas of my life. But do not take my word for it - try it yourself.
Here are a few tips on how to get you started:
Find a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down
Focus on something beautiful and natural, for instance your breath, and tune out any distracting thoughts
Start with just a few minutes a day - one minute even - and slowly build on your meditation practice
Make use of guided meditations if you need extra guidance and support
There are many ways to meditate, and all are right. The ultimate goal is for you to feel balanced and connected.
Everyday Mindfulness & Calm
Beside meditation, there are many other ways to cultivate mindfulness and calm in your every day routines to be more present, conscious and aware in what you do in your day-to-day life. Let’s explore a few mindset perspective and tips to help you be more mindful:
It All Starts With You
The energy you send out – your thoughts, words, beliefs and feelings – creates your experience. This is a natural universal process called the Law of Attraction. What you send out, you get back. However, more often than not, we are not aware of what exactly we are sending out there. But do not worry. The good news is: you are the one in charge and in control. It means that if you are not satisfied, you can always choose again – and make a better choice. Change starts with you. Ask yourself the following question: How can I take responsibility to impact the outcome of any situation in a positive way?
Turn Down The Volume
Your thoughts are the only thing standing in your way. They are your biggest blocks. So take a look at them and ask yourself the following question: Are they even true? Because often we tell ourselves stories about ourselves that are not even true. Instead, next time a negative self-belief or doubtful thought comes up in your mind, challenge it with a positive counter-thought. You are in charge, remember? And truth be told, negative self-talk does not serve anybody. Embrace yourself, show yourself some love, or at least respect, and start being your own best friend and fuel your mind with positivity.
Do Not Take It Personally
Everyone reacts from their own perspective, including you. Remain in your energy and do not take in everyone else’s emotions. Because in 99% of time, things do not have anything to do with you personally. Do your best to practice not taking anything close to heart. Allow people to stay in their feelings while you take responsibility for yours.
Last But Not Least
Gratitude. The daily practice of gratitude is such a life changing mindfulness practice that instantly transforms how you feel and how you look at the world around you. And it is so simple to incorporate into your daily routines.
For instance, try starting your day every day by noting down or saying out loud 3 things you are grateful for in your life at the moment. Small, big, new, old - whatever comes to your mind. Notice all the good things, people and experiences in your life and give them the appreciation they deserve. And take a few moments to really feel gratitude filling your body up with love, positivity and joy.