If you’re not careful you can move through your day on autopilot. Not appreciating the experiences of life or the beauty around us can lead to an anxious, unfulfilled life.
You might be physically present at any given moment, but only partly there. Rather than being fully present, your mind is preoccupied with something else. Practicing mindfulness allows you to appreciate each moment of life.
In this article, we’re going to explain what mindfulness is, the benefits it provides, and ten ways you can incorporate it into your day.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of being intentionally focused on each moment without passing judgment upon it. When done correctly, mindfulness will lead to a more joyful, fulfilling life. As a result, you’ll be able to eliminate stress and anxiety and appreciate each moment. We live in a chaotic world, but a peaceful mind is a solution to many of the problems we face.
The benefits of mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness provides countless benefits. But here are 20 of the most noticeable benefits you can expect from practicing mindfulness.
1. Reduction in overthinking
2. Alleviated stress levels
3. Improved memory, concentration, and overall performance
4. Improved emotional reactivity
5. Increased self-observation
6. Improved personal relationships
7. Reduced levels of anxiety
8. Improved sleep
9. Improved mental health
10. Pain relief
11. Enhanced sex life
12. Increased resilience
13. Slowed progression of neurodegenerative disease
14. Enhanced creativity
15. Reduced feelings of loneliness
16. Reduced age and racial bias
17. Improved body satisfaction
18. Improved ability to manage and heal from sickness
19. Improved academic performance
20. Helps avoid burnout
10 ways to be more mindful throughout your day
Mindfulness allows you to enjoy life. It allows you to savor the experiences you go through. Maybe you haven’t been mindful in the past, but the good news is that you can start being more mindful today and be more present in the future.
Here are 10 ways to be more mindful throughout your day.
1. Begin your day with mindfulness meditation
Make time for mindfulness meditation every day. This will help you alleviate anxiety and become more aware of your mental and physical state. There are several mindful meditation apps you can use to help guide your practice.
There are five things to keep in mind while developing your focused mindful mediation practice:
1. Avoid slouching as it creates a breathing barrier. Instead, sit up to give your lungs the room they need to take in as much oxygen as they can.
2. Identify any areas of your body where you feel tension. Think about breathing into those areas, creating a relaxing effect as you exhale.
3. Make sure that you breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. The reason behind this is that your nose protects your body from certain toxins from entering your body. Viruses and bacteria are prone to enter your body when you breathe in through your mouth.
4. Practice abdominal breathing when you inhale by receiving the air into your torso and pushing your stomach outward. When you exhale, breathe out through your mouth slowly and let your stomach go back to its resting position.
5. Avoid shallow breathing. Shallow breathing stops at the chest. Abdominal breathing fills up your lungs and provides many health benefits.
2. Designate a “quiet space” in your home
It might be a chair or even an entire room, but choose one place in your home to complete your mindfulness practice each day. This will help you begin to focus more naturally each time and let anyone else know it’s a peaceful place in your home.
3. Be more mindful at work
If you cannot seem to focus throughout the day and fail to get everything finished that you intended to because you keep getting distracted, you should consider practicing mindfulness at work.
If you don’t take the time to practice mindfulness before you get to work, then do a quick 10-minute exercise before you begin your work. To practice your mindfulness at work, lower your gaze, relax your muscles, and sit up straight. Focus only on your breath, inhaling and exhaling, counting each one for several minutes.
4. Take a mindful shower
Take a shower and engage each of your senses. Feel the water on your skin, taste the water raining down, smell the soap, and embrace the calm of your body.
What is the temperature of the water? Is it too cold, too warm, or just right? Watch and listen to the water as it hits your skin and runs down your body. What does the soap smell like? Be aware of your thoughts and feelings as you stand in the shower.
5. Take a mindful walk
We do a lot of walking each day, and for most of us, it’s an automatic activity. But instead of mindlessly walking around, take an intensional walk and give your full attention to the experience. Focus your attention on the experience of walking. Notice the sights, the sounds, the smells, and the feel of the ground beneath your feet as you walk.
6. Practice mindful eating
Like walking, eating is another thing we tend to do automatically. To practice mindfulness while you’re eating, engage fully with the experience of eating, without other distractions. Smell the food, touch the food, and feel it in your mouth. Be fully present as you eat rather than reading emails or catching up on social media.
7. Be more mindful when you’re with someone
Really engage with the person you are with. Too often we hear what people are saying, but we aren’t fully present, often thinking of a response or distracted with other things on our mind or in our surroundings.
8. Wash the dishes mindfully
Washing dishes is often a mindless task. But engaging your senses while performing this mundane activity creates a wonderful opportunity for mindfulness. Feel the warmth of the water against your skin and the dish in your hand. Smell the soap, listen to the water filling the sink – allow each of your senses to engage. Research has shown that mindful dishwashing decreases stress and leads to a sense of calm.
9. Cultivate kindness and compassion in yourself
Avoid thinking negative thoughts toward yourself. We’re often quick to judge ourselves or neglect a compliment given by a friend or colleague. Instead, be kind to yourself, and love yourself for who you are and celebrate your successes in life.
10. Do what you love – and be all there
Whether it’s a favorite meal you’re eating, a hobby you enjoy doing, or a good book you’re reading – whatever you enjoy doing, be fully present. It will not only allow you to enjoy it even more, but it will also allow the activity to become an opportunity for stress relief.
Become mindful today
Now, take a moment to pause, take a breath, and appreciate this present moment you’re in. Incorporating mindfulness into each day will allow you to be present and appreciate each experience of life.
Start by incorporating at least one of these mindfulness practices into your day so that you can experience the many benefits it provides.
