We all have those days when we can’t think straight. You know, those days when you spill the milk, or drop your glass of water on the counter.
Or those mornings you struggle to put more than 2 words together and the words fall out of your mouth in a jumbled mess. If this happens often, how in the world can you know what your higher self is trying to tell you? How do you discern the difference between your higher guidance and your cluttered mind?
Mindfulness is a fantastic tool to help you balance your brain and your life.
So what is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a practice which helps us nurture our inner peace, improve our concentration and improve our general well-being. It’s is something that we practice over time as we learn how to train our minds in our everyday life because many of us are not taught how to strengthen our mind and manage our thinking during our younger years.
The practice of training our mind expands our ability to detach from thought, emotion and body sensation enough to witness them. And in turn, this allows us to better regulate our emotions, train our brains to focus more efficiently and teach our bodies to de-stress when we lose our focus.
The Opposite of Mindlessness…
Have you ever driven your car somewhere and arrived at your destination only to realise you remember nothing about your journey? Or started eating a packet of chips and then suddenly noticed all you had left in your hands was an empty packet? Most of us have!
These are some common examples of ‘mindlessness’ – A state we also often refer to as being on ‘autopilot.’
Research shows, in this state of mindlessness, we also become vulnerable to anxiety, stress, depression and reactivity.
It is not difficult to understand the advantages of living life in the present. When residing in the present, it is easier to recognise new opportunities and avert potential dangers that haven’t yet arisen. Indeed, most people think they are in the present, when in fact, they are not aware enough to recognise that they aren’t.
Being mindful starts with accepting yourself and your life.
It’s becoming aware of the story you tell yourself and then knowing that you can change that story.
The Benefits of Mindfulness
There are many benefits in bringing mindfulness into your daily life including:
- Mindfulness reduces stress, anxiety and other destructive emotions.
- Mindfulness reduces depression.
- Mindfulness reduces insomnia.
- Mindfulness increases your sense of well-being, reduces lethargy and increases energy both mentally and physically.
- Mindfulness sharpens your memory and increases your focus and attention.
- Mindfulness improves your emotional and social intelligence and develops your empathy and compassion and improves confidence and emotional resilience.
- Mindfulness reduces compulsive and addictive tendencies and has also been shown to work better than any diet for effective long-term weight loss.
In other words, the more mindful you are the happier and healthier you are. Mindfulness can literally transform your entire world from the inside out.
Becoming Mindful
So here are the ABC’s of mindfulness that anyone can follow:
Appreciation and Awareness. Appreciate each present moment, whatever you are doing. Gratefulness stretches the heart and increases awareness of the present moment. Become aware of your surroundings and how your body feels regularly during the day. Awareness helps us to respond to life rather than react.
Be still. We’re human be-ings, not human do-ings. Practice being at peace within yourself each day, as stillness and silence are life giving!
Clear the Clutter. In your mind, that is! Remove the static from your life and anything that isn’t serving you.
It all starts with you having YOU Time, even 5 minutes are day. Time where you stop and just observe the moment. Engage all your senses… see, feel, smell, hear what’s going on around you. And if you can’t physically stop, engage your senses while you are going about doing your daily chores.
If you would like to watch my video on mindfulness click here…
And remember, Happiness Starts with a Smile and Empowerment Starts with a Choice!
