Mindfulness Habits for Every Day
Mindfulness is a Big Word…
But what does it actually mean?
Jon-Kabat Zinn, founder of MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction) defines mindfulness as “the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally”
What I often hear from people when I talk about mindfulness or specifically meditation is “it’s not for me” or “I can’t calm my mind”, “It’s too hard” or “I don’t have time for this.”
The busier you are, the more you need mindfulness. And as a Type A personality myself, with my mind constantly racing and thinking about what’s next, I can tell you – it’s true! Meditation is much easier when I’m relaxed at the beach and it gets really hard when my schedule is full. But only what makes you uncomfortable, helps you grow, right?
Let’s start small. Yes, I can truly say: Mindfulness has changed my life. And although Yoga and Meditation are amazing tools and more often than not the door opener to live a more mindful life, there are other ways. I’m talking about small mindful habits every day. The little reminders that we need to set ourselves, in order to remind ourselves about our “why”, our values, our purpose and the very reason of being.
Mindfulness habits take my mind out of the daily struggles, negative news or endless to-do lists. More so, mindfulness practices make those ‘problems’ look small, maybe even completely irrelevant, and rather put life and the present moment above everything else that the mind wants us make believe.
Let’s look at some of those magical practices that seem to make all your problems go away. Here are my top 5 Mindfulness Habits:
1 Sitting still and taking 5 deep breaths
This is an easy practice to apply before meetings, before lunch or dinner or any time you feel the blood in your body pumping or your chest tightening. If you want to intensify the feeling, you can even hold your hand on your belly and feel every inhale and exhale. Relax.
2 Journal what you are grateful for
Start your night with a quick journal entry to look back at the positive things that happened this day and fall asleep in peace. It’s very powerful and helped me through the darkest times.
3 Electronics away from bedroom
No TV, no phone or laptop in your bedroom at night will eliminate all the radiation and you will automatically be forced to be offline before you go to bed. The golden rule is – no electronics at least 30 mins before you go to bed. (And in case you use your phone as alarm, just keep it outside the bedroom and it will force you to get up in the morning to turn it off :) I’m doing this since over 5 years and my sleep is so much better.
4 Eat without distractions
Your food is the fuel for your body, your very own temple. It almost doesn’t matter how healthy you eat if you stuff your face mindlessly while watching TV or scrolling through your emails or social media. Take this opportunity for a mindful break, focus on the tastes of the food in your mouth and enjoy the nourishment of your temple. You only got one!
5 Start your day slow … to flourish
The way you start your day will set the tone for the day. Find your favorite routine to engage in before you open your emails. This can be everything from making and drinking a tea (without doing anything else), write down your intentions for the day, sit and consciously breathe, repeat your favorite mantra 3 times or stretch your body with some mild yoga stretches and mindful breathing. The key is to only look at your phone AFTER you have engaged in your morning routine.
If you are able to integrate just ONE of the above-mentioned practices, you will already make a difference in your life and start enjoying some of the benefits of mindfulness. After you feel comfortable with one practice, ie after one month, you can add another one etc. Don’t overdo it. It will only overwhelm you and it’s more likely that you won’t continue. This is a long-term process for a long-term benefit on your overall health and happiness.
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