The list of amazing benefits which mindfulness supports is quite impressive. Mindfulness can reduce stress. Mindfulness can improve sleep. Mindfulness can reduce high blood pressure and improve digestive health. Every one of us could use to incorporate more mindfulness in our daily routines.
Here are the top tips for being mindful during your day.
Connect Mindfulness to your Existing Routine
Most of us have tasks we do every day. Maybe we brush our teeth in the morning. Maybe we make a cup of coffee. Pay attention to your routine for a few days. Think about items you could connect in to mindfulness. It can be as simple as being mindful as you take your shower. Maybe you’re mindful as you’re waiting for the train. Take that time to pause, breathe, and observe. Pay attention to the aroma of the coffee or the noises at the train station. Simply be aware. Release judgment. Things are the way they are.
Breathe
We can get so wrapped up in racing to a destination or obsessing about the past that we forget about this one moment we are in. This now is the only place we can observe, react, and be present for. Take in a long, deep breath. Hold for a moment. Let it out, slowly. Begin again. Whatever is to come, and whatever has happened, we are here in this now. Be aware of it. Release the judgments. Simply take it in for what it is.
Accept
We are strongly conditioned by society that we need to be More X and More Y and More Z to be worthwhile. Maybe we need to be richer. We should be more attractive. Younger. Older. Thinner. More muscular. The list of attributes can seem wholly conflicting at times. Whatever your plans for your future, it’s important to be aware of and compassionate with where you are now. This is your starting point. Find a sense of peace with this starting stone on your journey. Life will have much to offer you going forward. You need to begin with a firm knowledge of where you currently are.
Patience
YouTube and TikTok can trick us into thinking change comes instantly without any work. In real life, often there are steps which move us toward our destination. Be patient with your own unique growth and path. It will be different from any other human being out there, and this is good. You may have strengths others lack. You might hit hurdles others do not have present. Keep on moving forward. Find your way. Maybe on one day you can only practice mindfulness for ten seconds. That is a great step! Maybe on another day you find the time for a full half hour of slow breathing. Every day can provide blessings.
Non-Striving
This can be a challenging concept to wrap your mind around. Shouldn’t we always push to be better? The idea here is that, for a portion of our day, we should simply be and acknowledge that. We should breathe in the aroma of coffee. We should appreciate the sunset. Being wholly and fully present in those moments, building our ability to focus on the now, helps everything else we do. It builds our body’s strength so that in other times when we do need to strive and achieve something, our body is wholly supportive of us.
Compassion
Many of us whirl ourselves up with busy energy so that we don’t have to face issues that trouble us. We actively resist the calm time, because with it comes self-criticism and doubt. With mindfulness, practice compassion for yourself. You are simply a human being like the rest of us. We are all flawed and challenged. That is all right. We do the best that we can. If critical thoughts come up, give yourself a virtual hug. Every day we learn, grow, and improve. This has been the way of life for tens of thousands of years. Being mindful of where we are now is a step along the path of becoming a better person.
Keep Going
Many times it can be challenging to find even two minutes of mindfulness in a day packed full of must-do chores. Keep at it. Even thirty seconds matters. Sometimes the fates of the world will be kind and you might get a full five minutes. Whatever you can manage, find gratitude for that. Practice. Keep your eyes open for new opportunities. The more you seek out those moments, the more you realize that they are there for you. You just need to be aware and ready.
Mindfulness brings a beautiful array of benefits, wholly for free. Build mindfulness into your daily routine. You’ll find the short investment of time will improve your sleep, your digestive system, your stress levels, your blood system, and your peace of mind.
