Many of us are living in a state of constant distraction, with our minds always on the go. This can lead to stress and anxiety.
The good news is that mindfulness can help you take control of your life again! In this blog post, we will discuss 5 practical ways you can become more mindful in your everyday life and live an engaged existence.
Mindfulness is the practice of being aware and present in every moment with an open heart. It comes from a Buddhist tradition that teaches releasing attachments, judgments, and expectations in order to create peace and happiness.
“The root of suffering is attachment.” – The Buddha (Buddhism)
Mindfulness is a mental state that can be achieved through meditation or reflection on the present moment; this enables you to calmly acknowledge and accept your emotions.
Here are a few simple ways to help yourself be more mindful in your everyday life.
Here are a few simple ways to help yourself be more mindful in your everyday life.
1) Notice your breath.
Take a deep breath and notice what's happening in your body. Notice how it feels to breathe, the sensation of air passing through your nose or mouth. Notice any emotions that may be present at this moment. Return to this focus when you are feeling stressed or anxious about anything else that is going on in your life.
2) Get some exercise.
Walking meditation is a form of mindfulness that decreases stress and improves sleep, exercise, focus, and concentration. It's great for mental health and provides many benefits for the body; such as lowering blood pressure, increasing awareness of your surroundings, and improving your present-moment awareness.
3) Body Awareness.
Notice any physical sensations that are present in your body placing your nonjudgemental awareness on the sensation and allowing the body sensation to possibly shift to another location or maybe even become more intense for a time. You can imagine offering love or gratitude to the sensation and interestingly the physical sensation will often disappear completely once it has been seen and acknowledged.
4) Yoga & Meditation Classes.
By attending a yoga or meditation class, you can practice the skill of mindfulness in an environment that is built for it. Being in a group with others amplifies the benefits of the experience.
5) Progressive muscle relaxation.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation is a technique for reducing overall body tension as well as psychological stress. This simple, progressive technique involves the tensing and relaxing of all major muscle groups in your body, starting from your head down to your feet. By tensing your muscles before relaxing them, you enable yourself to relax them more thoroughly after you release them, letting go of physical tension more effectively. Fortunately, it can be easily learned and practiced virtually anywhere.
The ideas listed above are just a few of the ways that one can incorporate mindfulness into their day-to-day routine.
Mindfulness is a skill that as you develop it, you will see improvements in many areas of life. Anxiety, chronic pain-related issues, depression, and even physical ailments will all lessen or completely dissipate.
Being aware of what's happening around you at all times helps you not get caught up in a cycle of overthinking or worrying. You become more focused on the task at hand, and your mind becomes less stressed out. You stop dwelling on regrets about past experiences or worrying about possible negative outcomes that may or may not happen in the future.
Finally, mindfulness improves your problem-solving skills, empowering you to think before speaking or reacting so that you speak or act with intention.
When you are mindful it's easier for you to be productive while staying calm throughout your busy days.