So, this thing called ‘mindfulness.’ We all hear about it a lot these days – everyone from scientists to motivational speakers talks about how practicing mindfulness can improve your life. It has mental benefits, like lessening stress and boosting memory. It may even help with physical health and make weight loss finally possible.
But… how do you actually practice mindfulness? What does it mean to incorporate this thinking into your life?
Let’s go over some actionable techniques to make mindfulness for you a reality.
Meditate in the mornings
We’ve all heard this one – just take 15 minutes in the morning to meditate and your entire day will be more mindful. But what if you’re the type to just fall asleep during meditation? What if you just get bored? What if it doesn’t work?
Meditation is deceptively simple, though it’s still something you have to learn to do. It’s more than just a few minutes of deep breathing. It’s taking stock of how you feel in the moment. It’s anticipating for the rest of the day. It’s preparing to make good decisions for what you eat, if you exercise or not, and if you go to bed on time.
Meditation is hard at first. But with a little practice, you’ll find it’s incredibly useful for mindfulness.
Plan for it
Sometimes, it feels like planning is at the root of our worries. Planning doctor’s appointments, playdates for the kids, lunch meetings, when to call the plumber, chores, errands – all of it adds up! It may feel like our lives need to be strictly structured in order to be functioning.
But planning for mindfulness makes scheduling everything else so much easier.
You should set aside time for morning meditation, eating healthy meals, exercising, and resting. Yes, absolutely do schedule in break times where you can veg out or do absolutely nothing at all!
Falling into the “I’ll just do it when I have time” mindset means it’ll never get done. Mindfulness has to take precedence in your life to be effective. Make time for it. It will prepare you to deal with the other structured parts of your life.
Eat brain food & take natural supplements
A healthy body is the key to a healthy mind! Start your path toward mindfulness by being mindful about what you put into your body.
That means eating tons of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Eat nutritionally-dense superfoods, like broccoli, quinoa, dark leafy greens, garlic, and sweet potatoes. Don’t necessarily restrict yourself to one specific diet or another; just try to keep things balanced.
You can also boost your diet with natural supplements, which have a range of physical and mental benefits. Supplements like turmeric and haritaki have been used for centuries to fortify people mentally and physically. There are tons of supplements out there, so do your research at sites like haritaki.org to learn more about products with good reviews and safe ingredients.
Acknowledge it
Even mindfulness experts still get cravings for junk food, find themselves impulse shopping, or binge-watching TV instead of going to the gym.
So, how do you combat these urges and cravings? Just start by acknowledging it! This is a technique used by therapists and psychologists called ‘urge surfing.’
Take some slow, steady breaths. Identify what you’re feeling. Say it in simple terms – ”I want to eat an entire chocolate bar” or “I want to buy this $100 item that I just discovered.” Then keep breathing. Surf the waves of your urges, which will ebb and flow, to moderate your cravings and keep yourself in control.
The important thing is that you’re not trying to fight these feelings or berate yourself. You’re just noticing that they’re there. By going slowly over these waves, you may find your craving or impulse fading away!