Mindfulness seems like a simple word and it has begun to surface more often. There are deeper meanings and different ways to live a mindful lifestyle. Many people link mindfulness to yoga and meditation and assume that it is not fit for them. However, this is not true. Yoga and meditation can be used in a mindful lifestyle, but not everyone does. It is important to understand the different ways to live a mindful life, the exact definition of mindfulness, and how you could benefit from a mindful lifestyle.
The common phrase used to describe mindfulness is, “Have your head where your feet are.” This is easier said than done. Mindfulness can seem like an intimidating task especially for overthinkers and those that live in their head, such as myself. Mindfulness is the basic ability to be fully present and aware of where you are, rather than living in the past or future. This is not something that happens overnight and it requires work to become more mindful. Mindfulness is not just all in your head, although that is what many people make it out to be. It is also being aware of your surroundings and paying attention to what you are doing at the moment. Mindfulness may seem like a simple way to live but there is more than one way to become more mindful.
There are many different methods to help you become more mindful, aside from yoga and meditation. Personally, I have never found meditation to work, and I always get caught up in my thoughts and forget to be mindful. There are several versions of meditation such as sitting, standing, walking or laying down. Different people find more comfort in different methods. It is up to you which one you decide to go with if you find meditation works for you. Another way is to take a short pause throughout your day, it is like pressing pause on a remote to everything around you. Take a moment to take in what is going on around you, where you are and what you are currently doing. This can lead to slowly becoming more mindful and beginning to feel the benefits of mindfulness.
Mindfulness has an abundance of benefits, these can lead to a healthier and easier life. Practicing mindfulness could also alleviate stress and anxiety. Most people get stressed when thinking about a future event or thinking back to an event they regret. Being mindful can help you live in the moment and reduce stress. Mindfulness can improve overall mental health and many psychotherapists have turned to mindfulness to treat other mood disorders such as depression or OCD. It can also improve overall physical health by lowering blood pressure or improving sleep quality and sleep patterns. Mindfulness can help in many different ways, improving your overall well-being.
Overall, mindfulness can help you to live a better and happier life. However, this does not mean that mindfulness is the cure to everything and that it will work well for you. It will be a struggle to begin with but there is never any harm in trying. You could benefit greatly from being more mindful in your everyday life. Mindfulness is more than just a word, it is a way of life and one that could help you and others in more ways than one.
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Resources
Staff, M., Staff, M., Jaret, P., Pal, P., Whitney-Coulter, A., Naidoo, U., Smookler, E., & Kira M. Newman and Janet Ho. (2021, February 18). What is mindfulness? Mindful. Retrieved November 5, 2021, from https://www.mindful.org/what-is-mindfulness/.
Helpguidewp. (2021, July 15). Benefits of mindfulness. HelpGuide.org. Retrieved November 5, 2021, from https://www.helpguide.org/harvard/benefits-of-mindfulness.htm.