How to Start Practicing Mindfulness and Make it Part of Your Daily Routine
7 Ways to Add Mindfulness into Your Daily Life
Mindfulness An Endless Practice
In this technologically advanced day and age, we are perpetually bombarded with noise and distractions that persistently vie for our time. From the ongoing obligations and responsibilities of adult life to the perpetual challenges to find some semblance of work-life balance, we collectively invest an overabundance of energy into staying connected and accessible to all that is persistently happening on a moment-to-moment basis.
Unlike most things, mindfulness isn’t just a practice you pick up and put down at will. It’s a practice that is best infused into everything that you do. From the mundane to the extravagant and everything else in between, it supports you to be attentive to where you are directing your attention and redirect it to be in the present moment. This post will delve into seven ways to make mindfulness a routine habit.
One of the most celebrated skills is one’s ability to multitask and accomplish incredible things. In essence, productivity is king in that the more things one can do, the more valuable their contributions are. Only increased productivity often carries its drawbacks. Interestingly, the more we focus on hustling to get things done, the more apt we are to forgo being in the present moment. Hence, the more liable we are to experience stress and strain, making us more susceptible to chronic medical conditions.
Notably, it is exhausting to multitask and juggle multiple competing priorities constantly. In every sense of the word, multitasking outwardly presents itself as an effective measure of productivity. However, dividing our attention in various directions primarily relies on creating habitual patterns that become automatically engrained within your subconscious until they become automatic (aka without conscious thought). The more we repeat select actions, the more it establishes hardwired patterns that enable us to recycle tasks at will, with little to no thought or conscious effort.
Far too often, our attention is highjacked by the many distractions that threaten to deter us from our intended focus. We are not enslaved to the wayward unpredictability of distractions. Thankfully, we are each individualized, unique expressions of the Divine, with the ability to take full volition over where we are placing our attention and think independently of circumstances.
Mindfulness provides the resources, tools, and practices that support us to root awareness within the present moment by redirecting our attention away from distractions. In essence, it’s a practice of singularly focused awareness that empowers one to exercise control over where you place your attention at any given time. In other words, mindful awareness empowers you to take your power back.
Taking Your Power Back
The good news is that it is possible to gain power over your attention with practice. Whether journeying within through the intimate practice of meditation or refining your attentive awareness of being in the world through the endless practice of mindfulness, it all boils down to taking your power back.
Where your attention goes, your energy flows. Likewise, our true power lies within where and how we direct our attention. Hence our attention (aka energy) is our most valuable asset. Hence there is no right or wrong way to practice, as you can sit, stand, walk, lie down, or do any of the many commonplace activities of daily life.
7 Ways to Integrate Mindfulness into Daily Practice
1. Tune-in
Every day some people and things persistently rally for our attention. Whether work, family, relationships, or obligations, it will always seem that our awareness is better suited to anything other than ourselves. Tuning into what we experience within each moment increases our self-awareness of what is flowing through our attention.
2. Self-Awareness
Prioritizing productivity over self-care can disrupt our well-being. Going within when we feel an intense urge to prioritize productivity over self-care supports us in detaching from habits that deny our innate needs.
3. Deep Listening
Listening goes beyond merely using our ears to hear. Our mind, body, and spirit are constantly communicating with us. We must tune in to what it’s calling us to do. This message will likely come from our intuition as it guides us to our highest good. If a feeling arises that you must rest, do less, or designate time for yourself, listen.
“When your body speaks, listen, even when it’s a whisper. Ask for clarity. It will repeat itself.
—Jasofmoon
4. Response
We constantly communicate with our higher selves as it guides us through every moment. When we receive a communication, it is up to us to respond in a way that honors our whole selves. Permitting ourselves to prioritize our needs over everything else supports us in remaining harmoniously aligned with our bodies.
5. Start Small
As with any new practice, start small. Increase your awareness of any resistance in any area of your life. Don’t deprive yourself by trying to tackle old habits all at once. Observe resistance as it occurs, acknowledge it, and practice releasing all effort to resist what is. Celebrate the small wins from practicing letting go with a degree of consistency, one victory at a time.
Start journaling at least one thing you recognized resistance to, and consciously let go each day. Remember that small, consistent efforts result in sustainable habits. You will likely find it nearly impossible to list one thing in time. You will probably be rattling off more than a few things as you put pen to paper or fingers on the keypad.
6. Release Any Guilt
Naturally, there are countless things that you can release. However, whenever you experience difficulty, there will likely be times when your experience feels too overwhelming to find an ounce of mental fortitude to engage in the practice. Guilt will likely follow, as with most things that misalign with what we believe we should feel.
Anytime you feel guilt arising, allow grace and release any feelings of guilt. As with the clouds that float across the sky, any number of things will cross through your awareness that can make you feel guilty. There will be seasons where life is not all rainbows and butterflies as we experience the ebbs and flows of life. Know that it is ok to miss the mark and experience feelings that may not feel comfortable. Permit yourself to release guilt as often as needed, and know this is precisely why it’s a practice.
7. Forgive Yourself
Forgiveness is a practice primarily reserved and emphasized as something we should do for others. However, forgiveness first begins with the self. Sometimes, your vantage point is so clouded by the density of life that it may become challenging not to center blame and guilt on oneself.
Know that beyond every experience lies a lesson. As we grow and evolve, we will make mistakes along the way. Release any feelings of guilt, blame, or shame, permit yourself to forgive yourself, and allow yourself to begin again.
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