I’m a HUGE proponent and advocate of mindfulness…you could say it’s my mission in life to educate people on its myriad benefits, and inspire them to incorporate more of it into their lives.
But, what exactly IS mindfulness anyway?
What does it look like in action?
The short answer is this: mindfulness is creating awareness of the present moment.
It also includes calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings and thoughts in that present moment.
Why is it important?
Well, picture this:
You have had a bad day… work sucks, you get in a fight with a loved one, and you’re just about at the end of your rope.
You’re mad, frustrated, and annoyed…
You leave work and either could hit the gym and eat your pre-planned healthy meal.
OR
You could say “F*&K it, I’m going to have beer, wings, and sit and watch TV tonight!”
Now, there’s no “right” or “wrong” answer here…but having a moment of mindfulness would make sure that you choose the option that is best for you, and not just having a knee-jerk reactionary response to your emotions.
Said another way, mindfulness is taking that 2 second pause between feeling and acting. It provides a moment to step back and assess and acknowledge what’s going on, and take the best action step going forward.
Now that you understand what mindfulness is, let me share some simple ways you can start to incorporate mindfulness into your life.
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- Develop a mantra or positive statement- read this statement at the same time daily.. When you 1st wake up, before bed, etc. You can also write it and put it in a place you view frequently.
- Daily gratitudes– start everyday writing down 1-3 things that you are grateful for.
- 60 seconds of deep breathing– set aside 1 minute per day (you can work up to multiple instances of this each day) to close your eyes and deep breathe in through the nose, and out through the mouth.
- Guided meditation– there are some great apps out there (I use Headspace) that guide you through meditation. They can be super short (1-5 minutes) to start.
- Listen to calming music– you can even search most music apps for meditation music, or relaxation and calm music. Just a few minutes of this works well.
Whatever method you choose, remember to start small & short… and that you do NOT have to be “perfect.”
Your thoughts might wander and you may only be able to focus for a few minutes per day to start.
The key is to do it consistently. The more you do 1-5 minutes per day, the better you’ll get at it.
Remember- the goal for mindfulness is to be able to pause and be present in a moment, acknowledge your feelings, and proceed in a way that supports you in the moment.
If you have questions, or would like some support developing a mindfulness practice, I’d be happy to help!
Just shoot me an email ([email protected]) and lets chat!
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In the book “Why The Gym Didn’t Work For You” I’ve shared why the typical path fails so many people, and how my “Train the Brain” approach can be the alternative that offers life-long results and success. I break it down so that you have essentially everything you need to know in order to finally break the yo-yo and embark on your unique, transformative experience.
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