Beginner’s Guide to Mindfulness
It is important for all of us to be mindful in this fast ass world…in this post, learn how to incorporate mindfulness into your life to improve your mental, emotional, and physical health. Including 3 methods to start being mindful right NOW!
What is mindfulness and how can it help me?
Mindfulness is the state of being completely present and fully aware of yourself, your surroundings, and what you are doing. To live mindfully refers to living in the present, rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future. In other words, mindfulness is being aware of your physical and emotional senses without self-criticism or judgment.
It is scientifically proven that mindfulness can dramatically improve your health in ways such as helping relieve stress, treating heart disease, lowering blood pressure, reducing chronic pain, improving sleep, and alleviating gastrointestinal difficulties. Mindfulness can also assist in treating mental health conditions such as depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Therefore, practicing mindfulness improves your overall well being which guides you to live a happier and more fulfilled life.
Mindfulness VS Meditation
It is important to understand the difference between mindfulness and meditation as they are commonly confused to be the same. Mindfulness is not a temporary state of mind, on the contrary, it is a way of living. On the other hand, meditation is a temporary focused state of mind to achieve a higher level of mindfulness and consciousness.
How do I practice mindfulness?
Mindfulness is achieved by focusing your awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting your feelings, thoughts, and body.
Here are some ways to practice it:
Add it to your routine
The easiest way to start being mindful is to incorporate simple exercises into your daily routine. For example, set an alarm every day to take a minute to be mindful. No matter where you are or what you are doing, take this minute as it doesn’t take long! A wonderful exercise is the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 technique:
5 – LOOK: Look around for 5 things that you can see, and say them out loud. For example, I see a tree, I see a dog, I see the rocks, I see a flower, and I see the clouds.
4 – FEEL: Pay attention to your body and say out loud 4 things that you feel. For example, I feel my feet warm in my socks, I feel the wind blowing on my face, I feel the grass on my feet, and I feel the texture of the flower in my hand.
3 – LISTEN: Listen for 3 sounds and say them out loud. For example, I hear the birds chirping, I hear dogs barking, and I hear the leaves rustling.
2 – SMELL: Say two things you can smell. If you can’t smell anything at that moment, then name your 2 favorite smells. For example, I smell roses and I smell cookies.
1 – TASTE: Say one thing you can taste. If you can’t taste anything, then say your favorite thing to taste. I taste chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.
Increase the number of times you do this every day and eventually, this will be something you do without even realizing it. The more you do this the easier it becomes an ongoing habit.
Practice while eating
First, make the conscious choice to not rush while eating. It is helpful to eliminate distracts such as your TV and phone.
Then, ask yourself why you are eating. Whether it be because you are bored or hungry, it is important to be aware of why.
Next, look at your food to acknowledge what you are about to eat. It doesn’t matter if what you are eating is healthy or unhealthy, this is just to awakens your senses further.
After, take a whiff of the delightful smells as this brings you further into the present. Finally, take a bite and taste every flavor and feel every texture. Pause every few bites to listen to your body’s signals such as hunger or fullness.
Practice to fall asleep
The perfect time to bring together mindfulness and meditation is at the end of the day when you are laying in bed and ready to sleep. To clarify, meditation takes you to a deeper state of focus, relaxation, and consciousness. As a result, it allows you to go into a trance-like state which is wonderful for embedding mindfulness into your consciousness.
As you lay in bed take into account how your whole body feels and bring your attention to your breathing. Notice how the mattress contours your body and how the pillow cradles your head.
Feel the warmth of the blankets and be aware of any sounds or noises you hear.
Breathe in the moment for all it is without judgment or fear. Take as much time as you need to acknowledge and accept your thoughts and feelings.
Final Thoughts
All these exercises are designed to bring your awareness to yourself as well as your surroundings.
Remember to be patient with yourself when your mind wonders…just keep coming back to the present…eventually, you will be mindful without even trying.
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha