Live in the moment and learn to be happy at every stage in your life. This is the core concept of mindful living. It is an ability we all possess to learn to take life a little less seriously and simply enjoy the moment.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could process things differently as they arise? If things didn’t stress you out, and your emotions remained under control? If it is peace and prosperity you’re after, mindfulness might be just the thing to get you there.
The Wandering Mind
Life is certainly a journey that has lots of ‘lessons’ along the way. When there’s a lot going on in life, or you’ve been through an ordeal, your mind can begin to wander to places it probably shouldn’t go. The more you ponder on a circumstance, the more stressful it can become.
Thinking too far ahead into the future, trying to figure out best and worst case scenarios, and worrying about things we likely cannot change can wreak havoc on the mind and our bodies, which is why many have turned to holistic and psychological practices to get them through and bring them back to a place of peace. Whether your method for finding peace and relieving stress happens to be meditating, laying on massage tables and getting a good rub, or taking a few days to enjoy some ‘me time,’ learning to apply mindfulness to your life can make a huge difference in how you view things.
Tips for Practicing Mindfulness
- Start When You’re Not Stressed – It is common to become interested in mindfulness when you’re dealing with a stressful situation. However, when you’re adapting to a new practice when you’re stressed out or in the middle of a crisis, it can make it a lot more difficult to master. Try to start practicing mindfulness when things are going well for you. It can make it easier to learn, and you’ll be ready the next time a stressful situation comes your way.
- Focus on Daily Routines – It is a good idea to start with a few activities that you do on a daily basis. This might include tasks like brushing your teeth, taking a shower, or even reading a book. As your mind begins to wander off the task at hand, try to refocus your attention back to what you’re doing. Practicing with smaller activities will help you to prepare for larger circumstances as they arise.
- Gain Clarity – When situations come up that you’re not sure how to respond to, it might be best to gain a bit more clarity about the circumstance first. As you start to learn more about what is happening, your irrational feelings begin to subside allowing you to be freed from a troubling headspace. As you learn more about the situation, you will gain clarity that will ultimately help you to make more informed decisions going forward.
- Breathe Often – Breathing is a huge part of mindfulness. It is a great technique for bringing you back into the present. Take a few deep breaths, focusing only on your breathing and this will help you to get centered and calm down.
It may seem weird at first to remember to take deep breaths and to focus on the here and now, but with practice on a daily basis, you will see how beneficial mindfulness can be to every aspect of your life. No matter how fast or stressful your day is going, you’ll be able to handle them a lot easier. You can essentially make more informed decisions, and respond to disturbances in a more peaceful manner. Of course, mindfulness is a lifelong practice, and there will be days that you throw these techniques out the window, but overall, you will find life to be a lot more enjoyable.
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