Increasing mindfulness into your regular routine will likely bring about improvement in your sense of well-being, relationships with family and friends, your ability to focus, and overcome the toll of physical and emotional pain. Practicing mindfulness has the ability to lessen stressors in your daily life so you can enjoy it more. Sounds amazing, right?
Follow these tips from psychologytoday.com to increase mindfulness into your life.
Practice deep breathing. It is not necessary to meditate for an hour. Take five minutes each day to focus on your breathing. Concentrate on the flow of your breath and the rise and fall of your belly. Need more guidance? Check out my beginner's guide to the 3-part breath.
Tune into your senses. Be present in what you are doing and tune into your senses. Pay careful attention to what you are eating or listening to. Notice the color, texture, and taste of food, for example. Or listen the natural sounds in your environment.
Simply be. Leave some time in your daily routine to be aware of what you’re doing. Take a step back from hectic times and take time to simply be. When your mind wanders to thinking, bring it back to your breathing.
Always forgive yourself. Be kind and forgiving to yourself when you build in a new practice like mindfulness. If you skip meditation for the day, don’t beat yourself up. Go easy on yourself as you gradually build this exercise into your daily routine. Practice my loving kindness meditation to improve self-compassion.