Being mindful involves paying attention without being distracted.
It enables the mind to unwind in its natural state of awareness so that it may directly experience life rather than becoming sidetracked by thoughts.
It is a way of living without the constant chaos of a busy mind. Sounds nice right?
Imagine being able to permanently let go of the baggage, stories, opinions, and concerns that occupy so much mental space.
That is made possible when awareness is incorporated into daily living.
How to Practice Mindfulness Every Day?
Being mindful is the definition of mindfulness. Being conscious and present.
We are so accustomed to being distracted and multitasking constantly that it does take some effort to go back to that natural state.
But the effort I’m referring about doesn’t need much from you; it just requires that you remember to recognize when you’ve become sidetracked.
You may start doing that in your meditation routine by becoming conscious of when you start to daydream, catching yourself, and coming back to your breathing.
You use the same method in your daily life.
Simply remember to remain in the present moment when doing anything, including eating, strolling, cleaning, having a shower, opening a door, going for a run, or brushing your teeth.
You bring awareness to the task or activity before you.
Let’s look at eating a piece of fruit as an example. Imagine you are eating an apple.
You’ll be able to keep your awareness throughout because it won’t take more than a few minutes.
You will concentrate on the process of biting and chewing an apple rather than thinking about a myriad of other things while doing so.
You’ll begin to feel a little more at ease after you train your mind to concentrate just on that.
That sense of direct focus is what grounds and calms the mind.
When was the last time you ever noticed how you bite and chew?
Take your time and really experience what it is like to eat the apple.
When was the last time you ate an apple and got the full flavor?
Try to teach your mind to be conscious of how you swallow and to follow the action or sensation all the way from your mouth to your stomach.
If you notice your mind has wandered and you’ve drifted into thought during this time, that’s fine.
Perhaps you got bored or started analyzing the way you chew, maybe it made you think about your teeth and you got totally sidetracked.
None of that matters right now, these observations are still useful, as they teach you about your mind as it really is. The result?
As you begin to apply this mindfulness approach to daily activities, you will find it has a very calming, soothing effect on your mind.
It makes you feel very present and it’s incredibly calming.
When you feel calm, you experience greater clarity.
You will start to see how, why you think, and feel the way that you tend to.
The unique patterns, habits, and tendencies of the way your mind works will begin to make sense to you.
And the result of all of this? The ability to gain control and choose how you decide to live your life.
It will make you suddenly acutely aware of how much power you have to direct your thoughts and emotions, responding to how you choose instead of feeling overwhelmed.
In short it gives you sovereignty back over your own mind and your life.
Practicing mindfulness can completely turn around your relationships too.
Most people think they are being present in the conversations and interactions they have, but the majority of us are thinking about the next thing, wondering about what we are going to say and not truly listening and communicating 100% mindfully.
When you practice mindful listening and mindful talking, you really feel a sense of connection.
You are giving someone your full and undivided attention. What an incredible gift.
Mindfulness will help you to feel empowered to live your life on purpose again.
I suggest combining mindfulness and meditation since they are complementary to one another.
You can educate your brain to be mindful of the moment right now by meditating. Mindfulness is exactly this.
You start to utilize that emotion more and more throughout the day and can much more easily apply it to other areas of your life as it gets more and more familiar to you.
In other words, practicing meditation is the greatest way to gain mindfulness skill.
You may change how you interact with your own mind by practicing mindfulness.
It represents a significant shift in how you see and handle your ideas and emotions.
Repetition is the finest method for success.
Regular meditation practice helps you develop a steady sense of present-moment awareness and makes it easier for you to respond naturally in daily situations.
Do you see how they are related to one another? You benefit from each exercise in the other.
It’s crucial to continue practicing mindfulness and meditation even when you don’t feel like it.
Like with any talent, the more you practice it, the more confident and competent you become.
Doing this will lead you to the brighter life you deserve.
Have you done meditation and practiced mindfulness at the same time?