How to practice mindfulness!
Updated: Aug 24, 2021
By being more mindful you can slow down aging, improve sleep quality, and lower stress, anxiety, depression while restoring emotional balance.
Mindfulness is the act of consciously focusing your mind in the present moment without judgment and without attachment to the moment. By focusing on the present moment, you pay attention to your thoughts, feelings, behavior, and everything else. Our minds are used to wandering. We are always occupied with our thoughts and 95% of our activities function on autopilot.
Hence, it is important to take a pause from all our thoughts and focus on being mindful for at least 20 minutes a day. The more you practice mindfulness, the easier it will become to stay present and focus your attention on where you want it, rather than on wherever your mind might take you.
Here are a few ways you can practice being more mindful -
Eat mindfully - Engage fully with the experience of eating, without other distractions. Be fully present as you eat, without focusing on other people, the conversation, or the things you have to do.
Walk mindfully - Focus your attention on the actual experience of walking. Feel the ground beneath you as you walk. Engage your senses and notice the sights, the sounds, the smells, as you walk your way around.
Take a mindful pause - 95% of our behavior runs on autopilot. Exercise executive control by doing something deliberate and new rather than autopilot which enables intentional actions, willpower, and decisions.
Enjoy a mindful shower - Feel the water against your skin, the temperature of the water, the smell of the soap. Watch and listen as the water hits your skin and falls. Be aware of your thoughts and feelings.
Get a mindful workout - Instead of simply working out to burn calories, move and breathe in a way that not only gets your blood pumping but also shifts you from feeling busy and distracted to feeling strong and capable.
Download mindfulness apps - Smiling Mind, Headspace, Calm, Insight Timer are some free apps that have been developed and researched by health professionals. Use them to practice being more mindful 20 minutes a day.
Related - 10 ways to express gratitude and be more thankful! 5 ways to motivate yourself that you can implement today!
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