What is Mindfulness?
The idea behind mindfulness is being fully present in the moment. It means being aware of yourself and your environment. It means learning how to not overreact to what is happing around you and inside of you. This might sound trivial, but if you stop and think about it when was the last you were truly present, not thinking about what you have to do later, or about the cringy thing you said yesterday? If you answered this question honestly, there’s a great chance you understood that being in the moment is actually really hard. But don’t worry, mindfulness is a thing you can practice, you can always find a way back into the present moment even if your mind keeps drifting away.
Benefits
But why even be in the moment? well, research shows that mindfulness has a handful of health benefits. You’d think that mindfulness is purely a spiritual or mental thing but the truth is that it also improves physical health. Practicing mindfulness regularly will help you reduce stress and chronic pain. It also fights heart disease, lowers blood pressure, and fosters better digestion. Mindfulness also assists with mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. The practice can also help learn how to handle hardships better, and savor life’s little pleasures better. You can practice mindfulness in many different ways. Here are a few simple ways you can incorporate mindfulness practice into your life.
Morning Meditation
The morning is a great time to practice since the day hasn’t begun yet. You can sit and take a few moments to yourself and think about how you want your day to go. Focus on your mental state and not on what you want to achieve. You can think about how thankful you are and wish to have a day in which you will be fully present. You don’t have to close your eyes, you can just concentrate on your breathing and get ready for the day to come.
Eating With Awareness
Usually, when we eat we don’t really concentrate on the action of eating or the texture of our food. Mindful eating is all about that. When you sit to eat, slow down and try to really take notice of the experience. Firstly, just look at your food, then smell it. Try to chew slowly and notice the different textures and flavors of your meal. Make sure to eat without any distractions – no smartphone or TV, just enjoy your meal.