Nailing Mindfulness – 5 Easy Ways to Make it a Habit

Much has been spoken of the importance of mindfulness, and it consistently proves its worth by making its practitioners healthier, happier human beings. There are many ways to achieve this tranquil state of mind, but in our world that’s heavy with distractions of every sort, it’s hard to cultivate as a habit.

Here are five easy ways to get started with this beautiful process.

Eat with awareness 

Ancient cultures have embraced food as divine, and it truly is. The famous saying goes that you are what you eat, and this couldn’t be truer. The food you eat affects not just your body of which it becomes a part, but also your mental state.

Before you eat a meal today, make sure you sit back and give thanks for the food before you. Take your time and enjoy each morsel that you take.

Chew it 24 times, if you can. This ensures that by the time it goes down your food pipe, the saliva has done its work and the body has made a thorough initial analysis.

Do this for just one meal, and then work up so that you enjoy every meal of your day in this manner.

Enjoy the flavor, be grateful for what you have been provided and make sure you point your focus there, and nowhere else for just ONE meal today.

Breathe

Many times, we do and say things we did not mean to and regret it later. The repercussions can be great or small, but the regret stays on.

For just once today, at any point in your day, just stand back and hit pause on your mental chatter.

Take a few slow, deep breaths.

Don’t tell yourself anything, or go for any affirmations. Simply observe that moment for what it is and observe everything you do or say.

Experience that state of deep calmness.

Perhaps it may not stay long especially if it isn’t something you’re used to, but do this just once a day, for any length of time that you see fit.

Meditate

You needn’t sit cross legged anywhere or stand on one foot to accomplish this. Sure, it’s good to have a special spot and an awesome schedule that incorporates meditation.

But this is for those of you who haven’t made a habit of it yet.

Meditation is about reaching that point where you calmly view everything and are fully aware of your role as an agent of change. It is about recognizing your oneness with all and everything around you.

So for just once during the day, sit back and observe. It can be a few minutes during your daily commute, or those five minutes of break time. Pick a scenery in nature, or any inanimate object around you, anything that you feel at the moment, resonates with you.

Focus all your attention on this one object – observe its every movement, its state of being. Don’t analyze anything, but don’t actively push away your thoughts either. Just observe your object of choice, and immerse yourself fully into the process.

The serenity is but a taste of the greater delicacies remaining to be experienced!

Keep a tally

Keep count on your ‘mindful moments’ of the day.

Feed your drive for success and goal accomplishment by letting yourself know how wonderfully you performed on your mindfulness goal.

Just keeping a tally can positively boost your will and subconsciously lead you to generate more experiences of the sort so you can succeed.

Motivate and love yourself. It is simpler than you make it out to be.

Daily activities

For just one activity (other than eating) you do today, try to engage all your senses fully in that one task.

Whether it be a bath you take, or just those few precious moments you get with an old friend.

Take that moment, and preserve it as best as you can by living in it fully.

Just one simple activity, performed with all your love and effort can significantly change your life in many aspects.

For you are nurturing the sapling that is your awareness of your own true self, and you should always start with just a sprinkle of water.

What other steps do you think you can take towards mindfulness? Let me know!