If you’re wondering what aspect of your well-being to work on next, focus on mindfulness.
Why? Because it’s such a simple practice and brings so many benefits to your life. It’s all about spending time in the present. This prevents you from reliving painful memories or making too many plans about the future. Thus bringing unnecessary stress, anxiety and negativity.
To be mindful is to be free of anything that’s not happening right now, simply because you know that the present moment itself is enough. As a result, you stop expecting a lot from other people. This gives you the chance to truly enjoy their company without any preconceived notions. It also leads to finding contentment and peace.
Happiness, after all, can’t be found anywhere else but in the present.
Being mindful allow you to accept situations and circumstances without trying to make things perfect, change the situation, or to wish for something different. You can enjoy what is by truly accepting it.
When you practice mindfulness you let go of the need to prepare for the future.
Instead, you’re present and happy with what is.
But let’s talk about the health benefits of mindfulness now. Staying mindful is closely related to your physical, mental and emotional well-being. So the more mindful you become, the more you boost your health.
Here’s why you should give mindfulness a try:
1. You’ll stop worrying so much
Worries are for the people who are constantly waiting for the next thing they have to do. For those who imagine the worst that can happen; who can’t sleep at night because of the many thoughts on their mind.
Spending time in the present moment simplifies your life as you let go of all this.
Mindfulness goes together with minimalism, which states that anything unnecessary should be eliminated so that you can welcome freedom and peace in your life.
Negative thoughts rarely lead to anything good, so it’s best to just get rid of it.
2. You’ll think more clearly
Judging, criticizing, expecting, fearing, doubting – all these distract us when we’re trying to work on something important, to make a big life choice, or to get creative and think of ideas.
By being mindful you overcome such unpleasant emotions and mental habits and can help you think more clearly than ever.
That means boosting your focus and work performance by becoming more conscious about your actions and decisions.
3. You can ease pain
Because mindfulness means emptying your mind of all random thoughts (which are the most common reason for all anxiety), you can even alleviate pain.
Use the power of your mind, focusing on the place where it hurts. It could be a headache, or maybe an upset stomach. You then breathe deeply and let oxygen do it’s thing.
Imagine that you’re exhaling all the pain and pressure.
4. It improves sleep
Getting the rest we need at night is crucial for being energetic the next day and go after our goals.
That said, it’s not always easy to fall asleep at night. It’s hard to stop overthinking about what happened during the day or worrying about tomorrow to get a good night’s sleep.
Mindfulness meditation before bed can help a lot.
Close your eyes and ignore everything around you. Imagine you’re in a peaceful place. Breathe deeply and empty your mind. Focus on your breathing for a while until you relax your body and mind. Then, concentrate on each muscle separately. Go down your body and tense each muscle individually, then release as you exhale. Put a gentle smile on your face and mentally prepare for getting a good night’s sleep.
Know you’ve done your best for the day, and that tomorrow comes with many new opportunities. Be positive about what’s to come. If these are the last thoughts in your head before you fall asleep, you should feel more at peace.
Getting enough sleep means you’re more likely to be super productive, present, in a pretty good mood, and able to focus the next day.
So, if you haven’t given mindfulness a try simply because you didn’t know how much it could improve your life, now’s your chance!
Image: elidefaria
