A 2021 study found that people who practiced mindful meditation during COVID-19 reported better mental health than those who didn’t. Those participants also felt that it was easier to be more aware of their surroundings, while simultaneously connecting with inner feelings. By practicing mindfulness, you can benefit the mind and body, and this doesn’t have to be a trivial or difficult thing. Simple breathing exercises, yoga, or other small daily habits can improve mindfulness.
What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a sense of awareness of your surroundings and your internal state of being. A mindfulness practice, then, helps you acknowledge your thoughts in a healthy, productive way. In doing so, you can avoid destructive habits or behaviors that cause stress. You can use mindfulness as a tool to mediate stress and promote relaxation. Modern practices tend to focus on meditation, attention, relaxation, and observing passing thoughts.
In recent years, many reports have stressed the importance of mindfulness and how to practice it in the workplace. Expert advice or blog posts don’t always explain how to make mindfulness a sustainable practice. The following hacks can help you make mindfulness a daily habit. The goal is that you won’t need to think about mindfulness one day in the future because it will be a natural part of your day.
Find Mindfulness Role Models
Find people in your life that are very centered or grounded. If you don’t have these in your family or friend group, consider finding inspiration online or on social media. Allow these people to inspire you and lead you down a more mindful path. Perhaps you follow an Instagram profile that gives you new daily affirmations. Mindfulness can help you realize your happiness via regular practice!
There Are No Mistakes
A lot of people think that there is a right way to practice mindfulness. In reality, there are no mistakes, and it can take 10 to 200 days to make mindfulness a habit. Everyone makes mistakes, but the great thing about mindfulness is that you will eventually start to embrace it as your daily reality. One day, you will unconsciously be in the moment, but be kind to yourself as you begin your journey.
Record Your Intentions
It can be beneficial to create a mindfulness mantra that you use as a trigger, for example, when you need to direct your focus to the present moment. It can be helpful to maintain a journal to track why you want to make mindfulness a daily habit. In this journal, you can release your frustrations or anything you want to let out. At the same time, write about the small, beautiful moments and then see which entries bring you more joy. Documenting your mindfulness can help cultivate more of it!
Don’t Censor Yourself
It is very easy for the mind to think about nothing and anything all at once. Yogis refer to the constant whirlwind of thoughts as “the monkey mind.” When practicing mindfulness, the goal is to witness these thoughts without attachment or judgment. Turn one of your senses in another direction and aim to become more aware of the moment, even if it is mundane. There is something very beautiful about observing yourself in the present!
Focus On The Benefits
As you engage in mindfulness practices daily, focus on the benefits you may or may not notice. Do you regularly engage in old, harmful, self-sabotaging routines? Is there anything different about you or the way you behave? Humans are naturally goal-oriented, which is not always a bad thing. Mindfulness is about the journey and commitment to the practice. Instead of focusing on a specific goal, empower yourself by realizing what you’ve gained along your journey.
