You have probably heard the term ‘mindfulness’ by now. Mindfulness, by definition, is the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. However, the big question you should ask about mindfulness is not so much what it is, but rather how it is achieved. There’s no perfect ‘how-to’ on achieving mindfulness, but here are some tips that can help guide you in the process.
1. Meditation
When it comes to establishing a mindful lifestyle, meditation is key. Living a mindful lifestyle is about reminding yourself of what’s important in life and using those intentions to keep you grounded; taking five to 10 minutes (or longer) each day to re-center and focus yourself is hence crucial to achieving mindfulness. Go ahead: find some time in your day, close your eyes and focus on re-centering yourself.
2. Being Grateful
Along with meditation, being grateful for the good (and the bad) in your life will help you focus your intentions on what is important. Centering your mindset on what you have, rather than what you don’t have, makes a huge difference in your personal happiness. But, I’d be lying if I said it’s easy to always focus on the good; one way to combat that though, is keeping a positivity journal. Again, finding a time to write down things for which you are grateful in your life will help orient your mindset to seeing what’s beautiful about the world.
3. Yoga Practices
Yoga combines meditation and physical activity. You can choose to attend a class or go through a practice of your own; in any case, yoga is a great for focusing on yourself. Going through mindful movements, focusing on your breath and setting an intention for your practice are all reasons yoga is a great stress reliever that promotes mindfulness. Also, yoga is a great replacement to meditation if your attention span is anything like mine; it will help you take time for yourself and (try) to turn your mind off.
4. Self Love
In order to achieve true happiness, you need to learn to love yourself. You can show yourself love in multiple ways, such as eating nutritious foods, leaving yourself inspirational quotes around the room or taking time just for yourself. Self-love is open to interpretation, so the most important thing about it is that you just take the time to do it! Being at peace with yourself will ultimately help you achieve peace in all other aspects of your life.
Mindfulness is different for everyone. There isn’t a perfect ‘how-to’ on achieving your personal peace and happiness; but hopefully, these tips will give you ideas on how to establish your own mindful lifestyle!