5 Simple Ways to Start Living Mindfully - Mollie Wilson
In modern life, there are a multitude of distractions all vying for our attention constantly. Between the near-constant use of cell phones, computers, and other electronics to stress from work and future events, people are in need of a different approach to handling stress. Some have found that meditation, and by extension, mindfulness, can provide a reprieve from these issues.
Mindfulness is a general term that refers to the conscious act of immersing oneself in the moment. In this day and age of being “plugged in” almost constantly, this is a refreshing way to make a change in the daily routine.
Mindful living is also an excellent way of learning to check in with your mental and physical health. When you are in a period of transition or high stress, it can become easy to experience mild dissociation and get out of touch with your body. Mindfulness addresses this issue in a natural, healthy way.
There are many different ways to tap into mindful living. This change can be as simple as including a couple steps in your morning routine, or learning a new technique to help you maintain mindfulness through stressful situations.
1. Meditate
Most experts in the area of mindfulness would support the claim that mindfulness comes from meditation. The act of setting time aside in the day to be calm, practice breathing, and get in touch with your thoughts and emotions is an important practice.
Meditation helps to “reboot” your body and assist in connecting what you feel physically to your mental cognition. The act of re-connecting your mind and body daily through meditation and breathing practices opens the door for mindfulness that you can practice through the entire day.
To begin meditating if you have never done it, you may want to try a guided meditation using an app of Youtube videos. As you practice more and more, it will become easier to get into the right mindset for meditation, and the benefits of the practice will continue to increase.
It is best to mediate for a short period of time, such as 10 or 20 minutes, and then practice being mindful a few times each day, also for shorter amounts of time. This creates a more impactful meditation session.
2. Go for daily walks
Taking daily walks is a wonderful opportunity not only to be in the moment and connect with yourself, but also to connect with nature. Breathing in fresh air while getting in some light exercise is an excellent way to tap into your stream of consciousness and begin to live more mindfully.
To walk in a way that encourages mindfulness, make sure that you are fully in the moment. Leave your phone in the car or office, or at least put it on “Do Not Disturb”. Find a location away from traffic and excessive noise. Set a slow pace for yourself, and practice deep breathing as you take in your surroundings and appreciate the sensation of walking through nature.
Practice this type of mindful walking often for best results!
3. Listen to your body
Have you ever noticed a bruise you don’t recall getting, or woken up with a painful headache? Our initial, automatic reaction may be to ignore these occurrences, or take a pain medication and move on with our day. While it may be necessary to sometimes take medications, we should remember the importance of each sensation that our body experiences.
Living mindfully is a practice that begins when we attempt to bring the mind and the body closer together. This means that we must listen to what our body is trying to tell us. If you have never practiced mindfulness, this may be a very new and somewhat difficult experience. Listening to the body takes practice.
For example, take a moment to be aware of your body right now. Is there tightness in your jaw or shoulders? Is your back hunched, or are you slouching? Are you subconsciously holding your breath?
Taking a few moments to check in with your body can be an excellent way of being more mindful of your own emotions and stress, and allow you to gradually work towards relieving that tension.
Fortunately, there are other ways that you can help your body to address your stress and tension. Mindfulness is helped by treating your body with kindness, which may include a more regular self-care treatment. Consider using a face mask, taking vitamins and supplements, or using roll-on essential oils or coconut oil. Improving the food and products that you use and consume positively impacts the way you feel and in turn, your ability to be mindful.
4. Create something each day
The simple act of creating something with your hands taps into a part of yourself that helps to engage mindfulness.
For example, when you are baking bread, painting, or playing music, you must be in the moment. It is difficult to knead bread while holding a cellphone, or to play the piano while typing on a keyboard!
These creative activities force us to step away from our busy schedules, turn down all distractions, and enjoy some solitude. This simple act allows us to begin listening to our inner selves and engaging in the present moment.
5. Unplug
This advice may be common, but it’s for good reason. There are a multitude of reasons to unplug from technology- as it improves everything from cognition to physical health to emotion. Another unexpected benefit to unplugging? Increased mindfulness.
As a society we have become accustomed to spending time with each other through screens and communicating from a distance. When we take the time to set the electronics aside, this allows us to re-kindle the human connections that are so crucial to our health and happiness.
Re-kindling these relationships and experiences is a sure way to begin living more mindfully. When we make the conscious decision to choose people over technology, opting to be in the moment, enjoy a conversation or take in our surroundings, this is when we begin to become truly mindful.
Mindfulness is a general term that refers to the conscious act of immersing oneself in the moment. In this day and age of being “plugged in” almost constantly, this is a refreshing way to make a change in the daily routine.
Mindful living is also an excellent way of learning to check in with your mental and physical health. When you are in a period of transition or high stress, it can become easy to experience mild dissociation and get out of touch with your body. Mindfulness addresses this issue in a natural, healthy way.
There are many different ways to tap into mindful living. This change can be as simple as including a couple steps in your morning routine, or learning a new technique to help you maintain mindfulness through stressful situations.
1. Meditate
Most experts in the area of mindfulness would support the claim that mindfulness comes from meditation. The act of setting time aside in the day to be calm, practice breathing, and get in touch with your thoughts and emotions is an important practice.
Meditation helps to “reboot” your body and assist in connecting what you feel physically to your mental cognition. The act of re-connecting your mind and body daily through meditation and breathing practices opens the door for mindfulness that you can practice through the entire day.
To begin meditating if you have never done it, you may want to try a guided meditation using an app of Youtube videos. As you practice more and more, it will become easier to get into the right mindset for meditation, and the benefits of the practice will continue to increase.
It is best to mediate for a short period of time, such as 10 or 20 minutes, and then practice being mindful a few times each day, also for shorter amounts of time. This creates a more impactful meditation session.
2. Go for daily walks
Taking daily walks is a wonderful opportunity not only to be in the moment and connect with yourself, but also to connect with nature. Breathing in fresh air while getting in some light exercise is an excellent way to tap into your stream of consciousness and begin to live more mindfully.
To walk in a way that encourages mindfulness, make sure that you are fully in the moment. Leave your phone in the car or office, or at least put it on “Do Not Disturb”. Find a location away from traffic and excessive noise. Set a slow pace for yourself, and practice deep breathing as you take in your surroundings and appreciate the sensation of walking through nature.
Practice this type of mindful walking often for best results!
3. Listen to your body
Have you ever noticed a bruise you don’t recall getting, or woken up with a painful headache? Our initial, automatic reaction may be to ignore these occurrences, or take a pain medication and move on with our day. While it may be necessary to sometimes take medications, we should remember the importance of each sensation that our body experiences.
Living mindfully is a practice that begins when we attempt to bring the mind and the body closer together. This means that we must listen to what our body is trying to tell us. If you have never practiced mindfulness, this may be a very new and somewhat difficult experience. Listening to the body takes practice.
For example, take a moment to be aware of your body right now. Is there tightness in your jaw or shoulders? Is your back hunched, or are you slouching? Are you subconsciously holding your breath?
Taking a few moments to check in with your body can be an excellent way of being more mindful of your own emotions and stress, and allow you to gradually work towards relieving that tension.
Fortunately, there are other ways that you can help your body to address your stress and tension. Mindfulness is helped by treating your body with kindness, which may include a more regular self-care treatment. Consider using a face mask, taking vitamins and supplements, or using roll-on essential oils or coconut oil. Improving the food and products that you use and consume positively impacts the way you feel and in turn, your ability to be mindful.
4. Create something each day
The simple act of creating something with your hands taps into a part of yourself that helps to engage mindfulness.
For example, when you are baking bread, painting, or playing music, you must be in the moment. It is difficult to knead bread while holding a cellphone, or to play the piano while typing on a keyboard!
These creative activities force us to step away from our busy schedules, turn down all distractions, and enjoy some solitude. This simple act allows us to begin listening to our inner selves and engaging in the present moment.
5. Unplug
This advice may be common, but it’s for good reason. There are a multitude of reasons to unplug from technology- as it improves everything from cognition to physical health to emotion. Another unexpected benefit to unplugging? Increased mindfulness.
As a society we have become accustomed to spending time with each other through screens and communicating from a distance. When we take the time to set the electronics aside, this allows us to re-kindle the human connections that are so crucial to our health and happiness.
Re-kindling these relationships and experiences is a sure way to begin living more mindfully. When we make the conscious decision to choose people over technology, opting to be in the moment, enjoy a conversation or take in our surroundings, this is when we begin to become truly mindful.
