Whatever your personal wellness goals are, living a happier, healthier life is likely among them. Mindfulness, a huge wellness trend right now, is the practice of bringing your attention and awareness to the present moment. The state of our mind colors and characterizes our existence, and being consciously aware of your mind and body can have a meaningful impact on your health and wellbeing.

Every day, you’re bombarded with stressors: bills, kids, jobs, deadlines...and this stress can cause negative feelings, physical pain, and anxiety. You may get overwhelmed with the stress in your life because you’re focusing on the past or future.

So, how can mindfulness help? The goal of mindfulness is to try and put aside thoughts of the past and the future and stay in the present moment. It’s like a silent form of self-care. You can quiet your mind and relax your body fully while you silently focus on the here and now. And honestly, who couldn’t use a little mental peace and quiet?

Mindfulness is commonly practiced through meditation, but there are other small daily rituals that can help you practice mindfulness, too. Here are our favorite ways to cultivate mindfulness:

Mindful meditation is a practice that trains your mind to focus on your experiences in the present moment. Meditation can involve breathing exercises, mental imagery, mind and body awareness, and relaxation. A simple way to practice mindful meditation is to spend a few minutes simply paying attention to whatever you are experiencing, whether that means focusing on your present thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations.

Don’t worry, there are no downward dogs or headstands in this practice! Yoga nidra is a little-known form of guided relaxation where you’re lying down the whole time — cue the cheers now. This practice offers a gentle approach to meditation, by starting with body awareness, then guiding you into deep relaxation.  

This anti-diet approach allows you to make peace with food by listening to, and trusting, your body. Intuitive eating gives you permission to let your body’s natural hunger cues guide your eating rather than putting restrictions on food choices and portions. This basically means you eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. A simple way to start eating with mindfulness is by eating slowly and getting rid of any distractions (aka your cell phone and tv), so that your body has time to tell your brain when it’s satisfied. Taking time to sit down and enjoy your eating experience can help you de-stress and optimize your wellbeing.

If you’re looking to build a more meaningful connection with your friends, family, or colleagues, practicing mindfulness has been associated with higher levels of relationship satisfaction.¹ This isn’t surprising since practicing mindfulness helps you be more present and emotionally aware — two things that can benefit any relationship! Prioritize being present when speaking with someone by listening intently so they feel as though you’re truly hearing them, and spend quality time with family and friends without any distractions. Practicing mindfulness allows you to enjoy precious moments with your loved ones, for a happier and more fulfilling relationship.

These are just a few of the many daily rituals you can incorporate to practice mindful living. Which of these mindfulness practices speaks to you the most? Let us know in the comments how you include mindfulness in your wellness routine!

References:

¹McGill J, et al. (2016). Journal of Human Sciences and Extension. 4(1): 89-101.