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, that’s the opposite of complicating our lives. It’s all about spending time in the present, instead of going back to painful memories or making too many plans about the future and thus bringing unnecessary stress, anxiety, and negativism.
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 too much from other people, which gives you the chance to truly enjoy their company and spend some quality time together.
It also leads to finding contentment and peace. Happiness, after all, can’t be found anywhere else, but in the present. So without trying to make things perfect, to change anything about the current situation, or to wish for something that sounds better, you can enjoy what is by truly accepting it.
All that helps you embrace insecurity. You let go of the need to prepare for the future, as that usually isn’t effective. Instead, you’re present and happy with what is.
But let’s talk about the health benefits of mindfulness now.
Yes, 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 exactly how this happens:
1. You stop worrying.
Worries are for the people who are constantly waiting for the next thing they have to do, who imagine the worst that can happen, who can’t sleep at night because of the many thoughts on their mind.
But spending time in the present moment simplifies your life as you let go of all these. Mindfulness goes together with minimalism, which states that anything unnecessary should be eliminated so that you can welcome freedom and peace in your life.
And because no negative thought can ever do something good, it’s best to just get rid of it.
2. You 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, to get creative and think of ideas, or else.
By being mindful you overcome such unpleasant emotions and mental habits and can think more clearly than ever.
That means boosting your focus and work performance and becoming more conscious and taking adequate decisions.
3. It eases the pain.
Because mindfulness means emptying your mind of all random thoughts (which are the most common reason for all anxiety, depression, or else), you can even alleviate pain.
Using the power of your mind, focusing on the place where it hurts, be it a headache, an upset stomach, or even muscle soreness after a workout, you can breathe deeply, let oxygen get to that part, and imagine how you’re exhaling all the pain and pressure that’s been there for some time.
4. By being mindful you can lose weight.
Overeating is a mindfulness problem too.
Just think about it. Most of the time we eat because there’s food around us, we have nothing else to do, someone offers us a meal, we have the habit of doing it while relaxing or watching a movie, etc.
It’s almost never because we’re hungry. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that we gain weight and aren’t in shape.
But what if you just stop for a while before putting something in your mouth and just ask yourself whether it’s hunger you’re feeling, or something else.
Once realized, you get back control over your mind and can easily leave eating for later, or skip snacks in general.
The same can be done for avoiding bad foods and learning how to make your body and mind desire only healthy ones.
To make sure you never overheat, stop sometime after you’ve started eating, give your brain time to tell your stomach you’re full and stop when you feel so.
Another benefit mindfulness has that concerns our eating habits is that we can find great pleasure in each meal and do it more slowly by being present. Turn each meal into a ritual.
Prepare your food at home, experiment. Then, put some effort into setting the table. Experience every bite, don’t be in a hurry to swallow.
That’s another way to eat less because you’ll feel full sooner. In addition, you’ll enjoy your meals more and will stay fit.
5. It improves your sleep.
Getting the rest we need at night is crucial for being energetic and in the right mood the next day to get things done and go after our goals.
But it’s not always easy to fall asleep at night, to stop overthinking anything that happened during the day, and to actually get your 8 hours without being disturbed or waking up too often.
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. Imagine how it’s tensed, but after exhaling it’s relaxed.
While in bed, put a light smile on your face and prepare mentally 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, then you’ll be in peace and won’t have nightmares.
Once you’ve slept enough and sound, be sure that tomorrow morning you’ll not only kickstart the day but be super productive, present for the whole day and in a pretty good mood and able to focus effortlessly.
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.
Let’s get 1% better and more mindful daily!
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