Mindfulness is a process of centering the thoughts to bring peace, equanimity, and calmness to the mind. Practicing mindfulness is a lifelong engagement that allows us to live life more fully by quieting our thoughts and our ego and tuning in to the desires of our hearts.
Here are 10 ways to incorporate mindfulness into your life starting now:
1. Meditate when you wake up. Experiencing peace first thing in the morning will set the tone for your day and allow you to roll with the punches later on when things come at you unexpectedly. Create a space of 5 minutes or more in the morning when you can be quiet and observe your thoughts. It is a nice practice to take a cup of tea back to bed and enjoy stillness and silence while you engage your senses.
2. Watch your mind. Experience the present moment by observing what is happening and noticing your mind and your body’s reactions to events. Rather than needing to change our thoughts right away, we first need to recognize what thoughts we are thinking.
3. Stop the negative and destructive thoughts. Once we have identified negative and destructive thoughts, it is possible to stop them right in their tracks. You can simply cut off that thought and choose to replace it with a more positive and beneficial idea.
4. Replace the thought with a beneficial thought. Ask yourself if the thought is true and if it is possible that another idea or situation could exist that is more positive and could or would lead to a better and brighter outcome. If you are having a thought about failure, you may ask yourself if it is even a possibility to succeed. If it is, you can change the thought to support the idea that there is a chance you will succeed, and you can recognize that there are various outcomes for the situation, which depend on your mindset and your behaviors.
5. Reframe the thought into one that invites curiosity. Create a few scenarios in which the event or situation will turn out well and even better than you could imagine. Do not get stuck envisioning a singular scenario. Instead, be curious and engage with life to be open to the possibilities that you haven’t even thought of yet.
6. Know you are in control. You can remind yourself that you are in control of your mind and your actions, but that you are not in control of the behavior of others. You can control your mind and you can control your reactions to life.
7. Stop judging. When we make a judgement about things, we decide whether they are good or bad. This is necessary in life, but sometimes, it can be detrimental. We may make up our mind a certain way and not leave space for other alternatives to arise. We may also discredit others’ ideas or suggestions because we want to be right.
8. Focus on your body. One way to gain control over your mind is to access your breath. By breathing deeply, you can calm the body and bring it back to a state of ease. Then, focus on the rising and falling of your belly, the air in your nostrils, and sensations in your body.
9. Notice your wandering mind. When breathing, notice when your mind wanders to thoughts of things you need to do or other responsibilities or ways of the world. Bring your attention back to the breath.
10. Invite kindness into your practice. Be kind and gentle with yourself, think encouraging thoughts, and talk to a loved one if you can’t access positive thinking. You could also spend time in nature or doing something you love. You may bring to mind a memory of a happy time in life and reflect on some positive outcomes you’ve had in the past. Each of these practices will lead you to a life with more mindfulness.
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