How To Be More Mindful

Everyone could benefit from being more mindful in life, both at home and at work. Being mindful means that you are truly living in the present, by letting of any worries of the past, as well as not worrying about the future because it hasn’t happened yet. Worrying about things that may or may not happen when you can do nothing about them anyway is a pointless exercise that simply robs people of the joy of the here and now. Mindfulness can be a difficult practice to do well, especially since we all seem to be programmed to look for the worst in most situations. However, if you can do it, it can enhance your life dramatically. Here are some ways to get started.

Meditation

Mindfulness without properly understanding how to mediate would be virtually impossible. Meditation allows you to have a clear mind so that the worries of the past and future can disappear; you will finally stop thinking about them. Although meditation is essential if you want to be truly mindful, it is not an easy practice to get into if you’ve never done it before. That’s why a meditation retreat can often be of use, as this is an intensive yet gentle way to understand meditation and its benefits. Once you know how to do it, you can take a little time each day – just a few minutes – to re-set yourself and enjoy peace of mind. 

Stop Multi-Tasking

Multi-tasking is the practice of doing more than one thing at a time, and it’s something that we’ve been told we should all try to do (and instinctively be good at, especially women). However, further studies have shown that far from making us more productive, multi-tasking means that we’re not able to fully concentrate on any of the tasks that we are attempting to carry out, and that means nothing is done to a high standard. It’s far better to focus on one task at a time and do that to your best ability, and then move onto the next. When you do one task at a time, it is far easier to practice mindfulness because you are not being distracted. You’ll feel better, and you’ll achieve a lot more, even if it seems counter-intuitive.

Slow Down

Rushing about all over the place and trying to get everything done is not a good way to be mindful. It will keep your brain busy in all kinds of different directions, and that won’t allow for any kind of mediation or relaxation. This is not a good way to live, and for the most part, these deadlines and fast pace are self-imposed. If you find that you are rushing around a lot, take a moment to slow down, but physically and mentally. Take this time to re-assess what you are doing. Is there a better, less frantic way, for example? If there isn’t, then it may be time to re-think what you are doing entirely and look for a new job or lifestyle that means you can have the time you need to be mindful.