After a year of spending a lot of time in my head, one of my goals for the new year was to practice more mindfulness. Mindfulness is a term that is used a lot today, especially in conversations about mental health and wellness, and it means something a little different to each person. Personally, my goal was to connect more with my body, spirit, and the world around me in order to be more present in my life. After almost a month of trying to be more mindful, these are five things that I have found to be helpful.
- Look at and Listen to People
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One way to be more mindful and present is to simply look at those you are talking to and genuinely listen. Be present in the conversation!
- Journal
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Journaling is such a great way to self-reflect. I have multiple journals (a prayer journal, a journal for thought dumps, online journal documents), and it helps me so much to take time to reflect on my day.
- Go Outside
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Spending time outside has also helped me practice mindfulness. I like to go on walks outside with friends and spend time breathing in fresh air and taking in the nature around me.
- Meditate
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Meditation helps me focus and re-center my mind! It doesn’t have to be just doing yoga or sitting in silence for an hour—even taking just five minutes of quiet time focusing my breathing helps me.
- Set Goals
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One last thing that has helped me is setting clear, specific goals. I set goals for what I want to accomplish in a day, in a week, in a year. These goals help me stay focused and remind me what I am working towards.
Making an effort to practice mindfulness has helped me so much. I find myself more focused and productive, and I am just in an overall better mood. Hopefully some of these practices can help you too!