Living mindfully is about taking moments throughout the day to be fully present. It is about being aware of your individual impact and acknowledging the ripples of each step you take.  Mindfulness is being fully aware of what you are doing, thinking, and feeling at the moment.  When your mind wanders, you are aware and gently bring it back to what you are doing or focusing on – without judgment.

Seem simple?  Not necessarily, especially when you are used to a fast-paced world, with days often filled with worry about the email or text that just came across your gadget; the ten things you need to attend to in order to care for the people in your lives; the job you have and the deadlines attached it; keeping the finances in order, the dogs fed, the house clean, and the laundry done; trying to fit in the time to exercise; and what about keeping the other humans in your house nourished, let alone yourself.  Sound familiar? 

Guess what all of these “tasks” start with – you.  And your mental health, focus, compassion, and care must be nurtured to do any of it.  Mindfulness can help create an overall sense of well-being.  Specifically, it has been scientifically proven to:

• increase focus
• reduce stress and anxiety
• improve physical health
• aid in sleep quality
• …and so much more. 

Mindful living can also help you better navigate relationships with mindful listening and, by reducing reactivity, it can help you achieve goals.

You can practice mindfulness during most anything.  You can start right now, in fact.  There are no rules.  As you are reading this, walking places, waiting in line at the grocery, doing the dishes, trying to fall asleep, reacting to certain situations…all times you can practice mindfulness. 

How? Simply slow down and notice.  Take it even further and embrace each detail (what you see, smell, taste, etc.) while doing what you’re doing and how you’re feeling while doing it. 

This is practicing mindfulness and, in turn, living more mindfully.

Overall Recap:

What is Mindfulness?

• Observe life as it happens.
• Accept your current situation without judgement.
• Allow feelings to exist without letting them drive your actions.
• Notice thoughts as they arise, without the need to buy into them. 

Helpful Tips (to get started on something specific):

1. Practice observation.  To help bring yourself to the present moment, it is good to find one thing around you (while doing anything) and focus on it.  This also helps settle a racing mind or feelings of anxiety or fear.  Find one thing (that does not tend to trigger negative emotions for you).  Observe it in its entirety.  Describe the object (vocally or to yourself).  While observing the object ask yourself things like: What color is it? What is the texture? What shadows does it create? What are the lines of it? What shape is it or what shapes does it create?
2. Focus on your breathing.  As something that tends to happen by instinct, bringing your awareness to the rhythm and sensations of breathing can instantly calm and re-center your focus. 

Living mindfully is about presence, awareness, appreciation, reflection, and action.  Even in a world of busy, judgment, expectations – go back to the basics.  Noticing – without judgment, without expectations. 

Hopefully you have signed up for my weekly newsletter.  This week’s went over “4 Ways to Start a Mindful New Year” and an important Mindful Minute on “Belly Breathing.”  Enter your first name, email and click “yes, please” in the black box within the main Blog Page of this website or email me at **@li********************.com and I will be sure to drop you this latest edition.  It will be helpful in getting started in helping make this year one of the best for you yet. 

For additional tips on mindful living and topics like this, follow me @livinghealthyin5fields on social media.