Becoming more mindful should be a top priority for just about everyone around the world. With burgeoning demands on our time and millions of little distractions pulling at our attention every single day, being able to tap into a more mindful and present state should never be underestimated. But what is mindfulness and how do we become more mindful? Mindfulness is the state of being consciously aware of yourself and your surroundings. It’s anincredibly important facet of healing past trauma as well as destressing one’s self. Becoming more mindful makes you a more present person–allowing you to fully experience your life and be there for yourself as well as your loved ones. Now that you know the basic principles of mindfulness, let’s get into the10 steps that you can take tocreate a mindful routine.
Create a bedtime routine
There are few things that are more important than a good bedtime routine. Your entire being, whichis rooted in your mind-body-soul connection, needs deep, restful sleep for you to become moremindful and present. If you’re constantly getting to bed at a late hour, you’re going to feel sluggishand lethargic every morning. But it isn’t just your bedtime hour that can help you become moremindful. Having a good routine leading up to your regular sleep hour can also have a profound effecton your ability to maintainyour mindfulness. As a general rule of thumb, you should be getting at least8 hours of sleep each night but in order for you to achieve this, you need to disconnect from the worldat least 3 hours before you intend on getting shut-eye. That means no devices and no binge-watchinga show on Netflix. Set your bedtime to the same time each night–even on weekends–and ensureyour bedroom is clear of clutter, cool, and dark.
Incorporate Exercise
Exercising each and every day is a great way to increase your presence. As your body has to focus ongetting much-needed energy and oxygen to the important muscle groups as you work them, there willbe very little else on your mind at the time. Not only isdaily exercise great for your body, but it’s alsogreat for your mind. The more you’re able to “zone out” on a physical activity, the sharper and morepresent your thoughts will be.
Pump the Music Up
When your mind is boggeddown with mundanity and all of the tasks that you have on your to-do list,it can be pretty impossible to remain mindful throughout your day. An excellent hack to stop themental chatter is to pump up the music! That’s right. Studies have shown that listening to your favoritesongs can help you focus on the present moment and feel the energy as it flows through your body.Music has a trance-like effect on the mind and has the power to move you–sometimes literally!Another option for a deeper mindful effect is using a binaural beat. There are tons of binaural beatsavailable on YouTube and you can use these beats for a variety of purposes–from anxiety relief tomindfulness practices.
Try Yoga
Slow-moving yoga works wonders foranyone wanting to create a more mindful routine. The majorbenefit of incorporating slow-moving yoga into your weekly routine is the fact that you can practice itat any time of day. It’s a fantastic way to unwind at the end of a long day and equally amazing used asa primer at the beginning of your day. Slow-moving yoga includes Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, andVinyasa Yoga.
Meditate in the Morning
If you want a mindful way to start your day, consider meditating in the morning.Mindfulnessmeditation practices don’t just help you to become more “zen”. Mindfulness meditation has someincredible health benefits too! Recent studies suggest that mindfulness meditation has the ability toreduce the risk of heart disease amongst many other ailments. People with high-bloodpressure andother cardiovascular-related illnesses should definitely consider practicing mindfulness meditation.While it’s recommendedthat you find a meditation that works for you, trying the one below wouldbe a good start:
1.Find somewhere comfortable to sit or lie down.
2.Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
3.Focus on the sound of your breath and the movement of your chest.
4.Keep breathing deeply until your body begins to relax.
5.As thoughts filter through your mind, don’t judge them or resist them. Allow them to movethrough your mind and continue focusing on your breath.
6.You can use a mantra such as “Om” to help you focus if you cannot maintain your focus onyour breathing alone.
7.Keep going for 10-20 minutes.
8.Slowly open your eyes and take a moment before going about your day.
Find Mindfulness in the Mundane
This is by and large the best way to become more mindful on a daily basis. Mindfulness, as mentioned,is all about being consciously aware and present in the moment. Whether it’s something as simple asbrushing your teeth, combing your hair, or bathing, you can get a bit more mindful in the process.How? Here’s a tip! When you’re brushing your teeth, focus on the sensation of the brush on yourgums. Take your time to look at each tooth as you brush it. Get up close and personal in the mirror.Analyze the texture and taste of your toothpaste. Really take your time with it.Implement the samemindfulness approach while combing your hair, eating your breakfast, and even while you’re bathing.This will teach your mind how to be focused on the task at hand without wandering off into stressful and overwhelming thoughts.
Start Your Mornings Mindful
In as much asagood nighttime routine is essential to be mindful throughout your day, starting yourmornings off on the right foot is just as crucial. Picture the scene: You wake up after snoozing youralarm 101 times and the first thing you do is pick up your phone. There’s a work e-mail that sends youon a downward spiral and for the rest of that morning, you’re a ball of nerves, irritation, and anxiety.Does this sound familiar to you? If it does, stop! You need to make your mornings your own. Gettingto bed on time will curb your need to hit snooze on that alarm and, once that is taken care of, you canfocus on getting a good start to the day. Stay away from your phone for the first hour of your morningand focus on doing some yoga, meditating, or just preparing a healthy breakfast. Once you’ve donethat, take time to plan your day. Only then should you consider looking at your phone.
Journal Your Thoughts
Journaling your thoughts will give you the opportunity to get everything out of your mind and ontopaper. Worrying thoughts, limiting self-talk, and concerns should all be journaled. If there is nothingyou can do about any ofthe items that you’ve jotted down, put it aside and out of your mind. You’llfind that this is a lot easier to accomplish once those negative thoughts are written down.
Create a Gratitude List
Once you’ve jotted down your negative thoughts, turn your focus to positivity. Write down everythingthat you have to be grateful for. Whether it’s the simplicity of being alive and well or something deeperand more meaningful to you, write it all down. This will give youafresh perspective on life and allowyou to think presently about where you are in life.
Focus on Your Breathing
Breathwork is so important for the mindful individual. Whenever you start to feel like you’re runningaround trying to catch your own proverbial tail and your stress levels begin to mount, focusing on yourbreathing will see you through. Wherever you are,just shut your eyes momentarily and focus on takingsteady breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth until you feel that you are presentwithin your body.These are super simple steps that you can incorporate into your daily life in orderto become moremindful and present. If there are only a few that you can manage, be sure to focus on your breathworkabove all else. It’s a quick bio-hack to bring you back to your mindful center.
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