If you have made the decision to be more mindful in your day to day life but aren't exactly sure where to start, you have come to the right place! Below are ten easy techniques to adapt in your daily life, mindful decisions geared towards enhancing self-acceptance.
By being conscious of one's actions and understanding why they are doing what they are doing, one can make informed decisions, therefore increasing their confidence in their ability to make decisions.
For further information, a well-written article is Mindfulness and Self-Acceptance done by Shelly H. Carson and Ellen J. Langer of Harvard University. The first eight techniques are summarized and inspired by that article with additional information from other sources.
1) Pay Attention to New Distinctions Through Active Observations
Actively observe new distinctions. By observing new differences, there becomes an increase in positive effects. It will also increase one's interest in what is actively going on in their life (Events, objects, behavior, situations, etc.) (From Reference to Preference, Unpublished Manuscript, Ellen J. Langer, et al.)
2) View Yourself as A "Work In Progress.”
Consider yourself a "Work In Progress." Work on altering your perspective and learning to enjoy the process of success rather than the outcome that you expect. When one views themself as unmalleable definite terms such as "I am bad at art," they become mindless, and these thoughts become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead, like a piece of clay, we are ever-changing.
According to "The Construct of Mindfulness" in the Journal of Social Issues by Ellen J. Langer, when words like "is" and "am" were replaced by "maybe" and "could be," participants experienced increased creativity and productivity.
3) Examine Paradoxes
By actively paying attention to paradoxes, the ability to accept and tolerate ambiguity increases. As a result, the anxiety associated with uncertainty decreases. In turn, by understanding that contradictions exist and taking an active stance in viewing and contemplating such paradoxes, an individual will find and acknowledge the paradoxes within themselves. By accepting these paradoxes, this will lead to self- acceptance.
4) Add Humor
After all, laughter is the best medicine. The concept of humor relies on mindfulness by forcing people to view the unexpected sides of a situation. When one can notice the humorous aspects of their life or conditions, they are more likely to accept such.
5) View Alternate Perspectives
Viewing a problem from the perspectives of different individuals makes the problem easier to accept. When people get stuck in a fixed interpretation, they are less likely to accept their situation.
6) Contemplate Alternative Comprehensions of Problematic Features of Yourself
When faced with a problem or undesirable outcome, remember that all problems can be beneficial and look for the silver lining. How can this problem be useful for my continued growth? What lessons can I learn from what is happening? Is there an opportunity here? All problems are helpful in some contexts. The difference between a disaster and an adventure comes from how you view it.
7) Keep a Catalog of Joy
This catalog can be paragraphs, descriptions of joyful moments, photos, or merely a mental file. The idea is that these memories be easily acceptable. It is easy to fall into the habit of viewing and lingering the bad going on without remembering the good. Research shows that an increased positive mental state can result from looking back and viewing these positive moments in one's life.
8) Create a Mindfulness Journal
Start and/or end each day by documenting significant events that happened. Review these events with purpose and observe new things and new perspectives about them. Practicing mindful viewing of circumstances and situations will enhance your ability to mindfully experience events as they occur during the day.
9) Mindfully Exercise
When going for a walk, bike ride, or lifting weights, pay attention to how you feel, what you see, and smell. By paying attention to what your body is saying and getting in the habit of regularly going into a mindfulness state, making mindful decisions in other aspects of your life becomes more accessible.
10) Try Something New
According to the UK National Health Services, trying something new is another effective way to stay mindful. As simple as it seems, doing stuff like actively choosing to sit somewhere different, take another route home, trying another restaurant, etc. allows you to notice and pay attention to the world around you because it is unfamiliar with your usual routine. Doing this exercise may also allow you to view the world from a different perspective quite literally.
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