We hear the word mindfulness very frequently and oftentimes in different contexts. Sometimes we are told to eat mindfully, to travel mindfully, to speak mindfully and to be mindful in general. But what is mindfulness? Mindfulness means being present in the moment with your thoughts and only focusing on the task at hand.

For instance, let us say you are eating your meal and your mind is obsessing about your next day at work. Well, that would not be mindfulness. In order to turn eating into mindful moments, you need to think about the texture and smell of the food that you are consuming. You would focus on that crunch and on how you are grinding up the food with your teeth.

Moreover, you would focus on the presentation and admire the colors and shapes on your plate. This would be an example of ultimate mindfulness. Mindfulness does not only need to be practiced when doing yoga, instead mindfulness can be applied in every aspect of your life, whether you are going for a walk or spending time with family.

Now, mindfulness is not as simple as it sounds. In today’s hectic world, there is always something to plan and something to worry about. Furthermore, we may be sitting down with our significant other and trying to be mindful with our food, while he/she is going on about a project that they have to complete. This would make mindfulness very difficult to attain. However, as long as we try to capture some mindfulness in our life that is what counts. Plus, being mindful sometimes could develop into a more frequent habit.

Importance of Mindfulness

By this point you might be asking yourself why mindfulness happens to be so important. Well, it is simple! By being mindful you get to make more sound decisions and you get to be a part of your life. Being constantly in your head ensures that you are not present in the moment and that you are missing out on authentic experiences. You might even be missing out on important opportunities that could change your life drastically.

I can recall many situations where I lacked on being mindful and therefore made decisions that were not right at that time causing me to miss important opportunities. Those important opportunities would have been life changing had I paid better attention to my surroundings. Instead, I feel like I am years behind. The feeling of missing out creates a resentful mind that tends to waste time reminiscing on what could have been.

Being mindful also plays a role in creating memories with your loved ones. Let’s say you are on a vacation with your family, but instead of being in the moment, you are checking your phone or iPad. Maybe you are on Facebook or maybe you are checking your work email. The act is that the moment you let your electronic device get your attention, you leave the precious moment that you are in. This makes making lasting memories difficult. Instead of making memories, you are dwelling on things that do not have any relevance with your vacation time.

Mindfulness is important for every day living. If you want to have a good quality life with minimal regrets, then start practicing mindfulness. By practicing mindfulness, you will be in tuned with your surroundings. Furthermore, you will be more present with your friends and family members, which will make your relationships stronger. Have you ever spent time with someone who seemed to be miles away? Maybe they were checking their phone constantly, or maybe they were just lost in thought. Did you enjoy your time with that person or did you feel ignored? Don’t be that person.

Work on being mindful at everything that you do. Become a more mindful friend, a more mindful employee, and a more mindful decision maker. So, explore and discover ways that you can incorporate mindfulness in your daily life ensuring that you are in charge of the direction your life goes.

Tips for Mindful Moments

1. When you are brushing your teeth, try to be present and only focus on brushing your teeth. Brush one tooth at a time. To make it more fun, do so by standing on one leg, and alternate legs. This will not only ground you in the moment, but you will also improve your balance.
2. When you are eating, try paying attention to how your food tastes. Look at the colors on your plate and enjoy the texture of different foods. How does it taste? Is it sweet or sour?
3. While talking to friends or family member, practice listening attentively, instead going in your head, and searching for a counter argument. Listen to the other person and make eye contact.
4. Put your electronic devices out of site when you are spending time with friends and family members, that way you are not tempted to escape the moment, leaving your friends and family feeling ignored.
5. During walks, be present while pay attention to your surroundings. Admire the nature that is around you. Stop and look at the flowers. I am sure you remember the saying “Stop and smell the roses.”
6. If you have a garden, pay attention to the plant life as you are plucking weeds.
7. Start drawing or coloring. This will help to keep your mind still.
8. Practice yoga or meditation. When doing yoga, you have to place all attention on posture of the different moves, which will prohibit you from going inside your head. Also, when doing meditation, use a candle that you can place your focus on.
9. Practice breathing exercises throughout the day. Start by breathing in through your nose and breathing out through your mouth.
10. Start a gratitude journal, which will force you to think more about the things that you have present in your life.
11. When you find yourself overthinking, grab a piece of paper and write it all down. Then sit down and practice being still and quiet for five to 10 minutes.

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