While there is no escaping everyday stressors, we can manage the way we react to minor setbacks. It can get really easy to let the negative outweigh the positive and quickly forget to appreciate the simple things in life but cherishing the little things helps us lead a more mindful life.
Putting self-care higher on your priority list and living in the moment will vastly improve your quality of life. Pause and take a moment to be grateful. Acknowledge what brings you satisfaction. In today’s fast-paced world, take a moment to smell the roses, or at least look up from your phone long enough to appreciate them.
Go ahead, push the pause button, and get yourself into a mindful way of life.
Belly Breathing
Whenever you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, practice deep breathing to return to a mindful, relaxed state. Relax your shoulders and focus on inhaling into your lungs, deep into the stomach. Exhale, and as the air leaves your body, watch your stomach contract towards your spine. This type of breathing is useful in reducing anxiety anywhere and at any time.
If you’d like to reconnect with your body, try our guided meditation for body awareness.
Walking
As the world gets busier, on average we spend less time of the day outdoors. Take the opportunity to drink your morning tea outside or take a stroll down the neighbourhood. Unplug those earphones and take a moment to absorb what you can see, smell, hear and taste. That daily connection to nature and your surroundings will make you more mindful and soak in that Vitamin D.
Eat Without Your Phone
Eating your lunch while scrolling through social media makes you eat mindlessly. You forget to pay any heed to the usual signs that tell you when you’re full. Eating undistracted and really focusing on the taste and texture of the food will help you enjoy and appreciate the nutrients so much more.
Maintain a Gratitude Diary
Studies have shown that you can increase your happiness quotient by penning your thoughts in a gratitude journal. It is a wonderful way to practice thinking about what you have going for you in your life. Focusing on the positive makes you appreciate the little things in life.
Download the ThinkRight.me app where you’ll find a free digital journal to record your daily notes.
Try a Happiness Workout
Meditation is an obvious way of being more mindful but if you feel like it’s not for you, don’t worry. Get going with a workout of your choice to boost your serotonin levels and be grateful for the opportunity to look after your body and health. You can go for a run, try yoga, walk or even dance to your favourite song to release those feel-good hormones and vibrations.
Feel All Feelings
In trying to be more positive and grateful, don’t avoid your feelings. While the present moment may include joy, don’t try to force happy thoughts, or resist emotional responses. Sometimes you just need to accept unpleasant moments and allow yourself to feel them. While you should be mindful about how you react to feelings, it is healthy to acknowledge them for what they are.
Create Something
If you’re someone with a creative disposition, it can be a great outlet to practice mindfulness. Spend some time doing what you enjoy as your creative side is mindful by its very nature. As an added point, the practice of mindfulness encourages creativity. Finding inspiration while walking outside or meditating will help boost your creativity.
These are just a few habits that are beneficial for increasing mindfulness but different things work for different people. When you are more mindful and in the present, you will feel like you have a renewed sense of control over your life. It will impart a sense of complete happiness that isn’t so fleeting. Try out a few of these and see the difference a life of mindfulness can make.
Read more: 4 Easy Tips To Stop Sleep Procrastination
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