How do you become more mindful? Mindfulness is a term used by many people, even when they are not practising it fully. Some will say they are conscious when they still forget something, space out, or even waste time browsing their smartphones. Others will think being mindful is being committed and having time with their lives, while others buy expensive wardrobes. But is it the case?
Feasible Ways To Add More Mindfulness To Your Life
Being mindful is a straightforward process. You only have to pay attention to the present in a non-judgmental and curious way. You have to notice yourself when your thoughts have drifted off, worrying, fantasizing, and worrying, other than engaging in what is in front of you. Here are some possible ways you can become more mindful of your life.
1. Starting when everything is easy
Most people will start being mindful when everything is falling out. They will do it when they are stressed or in difficult situations. While this is not a bad idea, it is important to start when it’s easier to do so. Starting midway when everything has taken another shape is like trying to become a pro in a game when you haven’t attended any training or exercise. As highlighted in these inspirational mindfulness quotes, better start being mindful when you can manage your situation. When you begin in pleasant moments, it will be easy to tackle any problem in your life.
2. Approach situations with curiosity
Sometimes, it reaches a point when you can’t respond to situations effectively. Other times, you get frustrated with things that are not helpful in any way. When such happens, it’s time you should start facing things with curiosity. It would help to get curious about what’s happening and methods of solving the situation. Curiosity will help you get out of difficult situations while giving you the clarity to make informed decisions about facing situations ahead.
3. Always mind the four Ts
What are the four Ts? Four Ts stand for Transitions, Teatime, Toilet, and Telephone. You need to use the four Ts when wanting to become more mindful. This is how it happens; each time you are transiting from one task to another, including taking your tea or coffee, using the bathroom, and when on call, you should take some deep breaths. This is to relax your mind and bring yourself to the present moment.
4. Pay attention to what you do every day
One way of becoming more mindful is to concentrate on the simple activities you do every day. Of course, there are those regular activities you usually do regularly, including brushing teeth, reading a book, or riding a bus or a train to work. You can pick one or two of the activities and concentrate on them fully to clearly understand what you are doing. When doing so, your mind might drift off for some minutes, but you don’t have to overthink it. Once you are done with thinking, bring back your mind to what you were doing and reflect on the situation.
5. Ground yourself Physically
If you see that concentrating on your breathing is not enough for you, you can sit down and worry about the surroundings. While doing so, feel how your body feels on the chair or bed. You can also put your hands on the table or counter and feel how cool or hard the surface is. You can also pick up something, let’s say a stone, and feel your hands around it. When you do all these things, you will notice your mindfulness coming to the present. You can continue doing so if you feel your mind is not at present.
6. Breathe whenever you can
Of course, you might be worried about breathing since we do it every day. Breathing is an act of being mindful since we always do it out of necessity. It is one great way of bringing your awareness to the present. How does one breathe in this situation? You can take three to four deep breaths and keenly pay attention to them. The breathing, other than bringing you to the present, helps you be calm and focus on your situations. You can do this when you are stressed or worried by situations that are out of your control.
Regularly practising becoming mindfulness makes it natural and easy for anyone practising it. When you do so, you will start slowing down in critical moments, making it easier to breathe deep when responding to situations. It prevents you from reacting harshly to situations in front of you. You can be more mindful of the steps highlighted above or get back on track quickly than highlighted. All you need is to start, and everything will fall in its place.