I’ve recently been finding it challenging to concentrate on what is happening well in the world rather than what is currently wrong as we are all trying to adapt to a new normal of remaining indoors. The newest news, which is often always horrible, or the need to feel closer to friends and family can occasionally cause me to lose hours reading through my social media page.
It’s simple to get caught in adverse feedback loops due to the uncertainty of the future, which in turn causes the body to experience stress. Honestly, stress is also the last issue we need just now if we want to maintain a healthy immune function and mental well-being.
So, in this post, I want to discuss how to employ mindfulness meditation techniques to educate your brain to maintain positivity, reduce stress, and maintain your psychological health in this unfortunate time. Trust me they will help you practice mindfulness throughout the day.
What is mindfulness?
The capacity for mindfulness is the capacity to maintain awareness of the here and now and to direct your thoughts there. We can stay present at the moment rather than dwelling on the past or the future.
Why do we need to practice mindfulness?
Numerous well-known instructors, including Deepak Chopra and others, have taught us about the benefits of mindfulness and the necessity of incorporating it into our daily lives.
It has several scientifically proven advantages, including lowering stress and anxiety levels and easing chronic pain, depression, and anxiety. We can start a new endeavor or lose weight with the assistance of mindfulness. And from a leadership viewpoint, mindfulness can assist us in maintaining our composure so that we can work more accurately or deal with external issues more effectively.
To live happy and fulfilling lives, we must meditate. But it is not something that happens easily to us, especially given all the things that divert our attention. Nowadays, the majority of us are addicted to our technology and find it harder to concentrate for extended periods.
We go every day without even touching ourselves, much less taking the time to practice meditation, which, ironically, leaves us feeling disengaged and dissatisfied. And when we do slow down, we often feel terrible about it, as though there is some kind of rule that says we must be active at all times to be successful and make the most of each minute.
As a result, we are much more vulnerable to bad news, false information, and anxiety, all of which harm our mental and physical health. We abandon our relationship to something greater or to our inner force, which causes us to become uncomfortable with simply being with ourselves. We no longer have the capacity to consciously shape our future.
1. Demonstrate gratitude
When we practice thankfulness, we must concentrate on the good things happening in our lives right now. It gradually brings the positive things to the front of our minds so that we can more readily return to the present moment, rather than worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. By putting our attention on the good, we free up more time to design a better future.
2. Examine your health.
The body works without your help; you breathe on its own, your heart beats continually, and your bodily functions continue no matter what. However, our bodies are continually communicating with us through physical feelings. Consider a moment to check in.
Where are you tensing up? Do you feel any pains or aches? Feeling weighty or light? Focusing on your body can help you refocus on the here and now while also providing you with the knowledge you need to better take care of your body.
3. Keep an eye on your heart
Another way the body ever speaks with us is through our emotions. You could feel a variety of things, from joy to melancholy. You can become more coherent with yourself by tuning into your heart, which is where your emotions emanate from. the Heart Math Institute, which has spent decades studying how the heart’s power impacts not only our health but also the health of others.
4. Engage all five of your senses
Focusing on the current moment is one of the easiest things to practice mindfulness. For a moment, put your current task on hold and pay attention to your surroundings. What sounds are you hearing? What smells are you detecting? What are the people nearby doing? To practice bringing your mind to the now moment, focus all of your attention on where you are and what you are doing for a short period while using your five senses to observe it.
5. Work out the grounding technique.
The Focusing Exercise, a quick 30-second meditation that assists you to connect to your mind and the modern state through balancing, is one of the most effective programs I give my clients.
6. Concentrate on breathing
By concentrating on our breath, we can reach the present moment more fully. Even though breathing occurs whether or not we are aware of it, focusing on our breath can help us concentrate. Pay attention to your breathing. Is it small or large? Take five full, deep breaths, concentrating on each inhalation and exhalation. That should be said three times, and you should rehearse it several times a day.
7. Be aware of your ideas.
Stop what you’re doing and start watching your thoughts as you play this amusing game. Can you accomplish that? What standouts to you? Try it out and observe the results. Make it a goal to pay attention to oneself.
8. Conscious eating
Eating is another occasion to be in the now. Because we frequently eat at our desks, watch YouTube videos, or read while we eat, we rarely pay attention to the food we are consuming. However, studies have demonstrated that when we eat more mindfully, our digestion improves, allowing us to absorb more nutrients and vitamins and improving our overall gut function.
9. Use active listening skills.
Most of the time, when someone else is speaking, we are in our minds formulating our response. Before the speaker has even finished their thought, we lose interest around halfway through. Practice active listening the next time you’re in a conversation by giving it your complete attention.
10. Take note of your surroundings.
Just paying attention to what is going on around me is a practice I enjoy doing while I’m outside. Aware of the traffic Keep your attention on the passersby. Look at this lovely bloom. wind ruffling your hair sun exposure on your face. If you’re homebound, you can do this while taking a stroll or a hike, sitting on your patio, or even standing in your yard.
Summary
I’m hoping that these easy exercises will make it easier for you to explore the realm of mindfulness without having to read lengthy books or engage in drawn-out meditations.
If you have the time, those are excellent mindfulness exercises, but I find it easier to incorporate mindfulness into my regular routines to train my mind and maintain a more cheerful outlook.