7 Tips for Living a More Mindful Life

“Please, do not do yourself the disservice of assuming there is something to do that is more important than just being
right here, right now, present, aware, attentive, accepting.”

From "The Key," by Cheri Huber

Many of us spend our days wanting to feel productive and love the idea of checking things off our to-do lists. But we often never feel “caught up”. We tend to keep doing things until we lay our heads on the pillow at night, feeling exhausted and as if we barely survived the day.

We are accomplishing so much and lightyears ahead of where we used to be, but more than ever we feel like we aren’t doing enough and our health and happiness seem to be suffering.

We aren’t being. We have lost much of the ability to be in the present moment and focus on one thing or person at a time.

We live in a world where balance is constantly craved and needed. Examples of balance are inhales and exhales, the ebb and flow of the tides, the sun and moon and masculine and feminine energy. The purpose of these are to balance and support one another.

In terms of masculine and feminine energy, doing is a masculine role and being is a feminine role. Feminine energy occurs in rest, nurturing, and going with the flow. Because we are focused on goal setting and accomplishment, we tend to be more in the masculine energy rather than feminine energy, which makes us feel imbalanced.

Here are a few tips for you to lead a more mindful life.

Set an Intention in the Morning

Setting an intention for your day will set your attention and focus. When you wake up in the morning, rather than checking your phone or quickly jumping out of bed, take a few deep breaths and think about your intention for the day. Maybe take a look out the window or put your legs up the wall, which is a great way to get your blood and energy flowing. You can set an intention to be peaceful, be compassionate, be focused or simply to just be.

Your intention can be anything that makes you feel good. You can then write down your intention and view it throughout your day to be reminded of how you want to be. When you start noticing you’re doing more than being, take a minute to review your intention and choose something that will help you to be here in the moment. For example, if you want to be peaceful, maybe take a few breaths. If you want to be more compassionate, offer a simple act of kindness for a coworker or loved one. Come up with a few intentions and ideas that go along with them. When you come from a place of intention, you’ll begin to notice you make better choices and are able to enjoy the present moment more fully.

Walk Barefoot

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Being barefoot will allow you to feel grounded and connected to the earth, which will also help relax your nervous system. Walking in the sand or grass is especially grounding and helps you pay attention to where and who you are at that very moment. Even reading these words, your mind may be thinking of things you need to do or places you need to go. Take this moment to place your feet firmly on the ground and think of what you are grateful for today. Take a deep inhale. On the exhale, bring a smile to your face. Being is just that, being here and now, which we are reminded of in nature. It’s also very beneficial for your feet and skin and can be considered a simple and natural pedicure.

Play With Children

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Have you ever been envious of a child running, laughing and being who they want to be without any worry? Children are wonderful examples of being in the moment, especially when they play. They are focused just on their toys, friends, and/or nature while their imagination runs freely. They aren’t wasting their energy thinking about the past or future. All they simply want while they are being, is love, encouragement and attention. Technology is making this more difficult since adults are getting easily distracted by work e-mails and social media. Find some time during your week to play with your children or friend’s children. Even reading a story to them is amazing quality time focused in the present moment.

Breathe and Meditate

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This is a tip that is often shared, yet often overlooked. Many people are barely taking the time to slow down and breathe, never mind actually having a meditation practice. There have been many studies showing how meditation gives us the opportunity to just be, which is extremely beneficial for a healthy body and mind. Many studies on meditation have shown evidence that it reduces symptoms such as irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression and insomnia. According to the Academy of Management Journal, subjects practicing meditation showed significant improvements at work, compared with members of a control group. Job performance and job satisfaction increased while desire to change jobs decreased. People at every level of the organization benefited from practicing meditation. Meditation is the simple way to practice being. Having quiet time and breathing fully allows the mind and body to relax.

Avoid Distractions

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Our smartphones and computers are capable of so much but can sometimes feel like a burden in our lives. You may be writing an e-mail and receive social media notifications and text messages, which can be distracting and bring you out of the present moment. Or you may notice it’s difficult to have a conversation with someone without a message or reminder alert going off somewhere close by or in our own pockets.

However, there are now amazing tools to help us concentrate and not get as distracted. Many phones now have a “do not disturb” mode and computers have tools to keep you focused on one task at a time, such as setting timers. Too many people are struggling with slowing down and being. They are missing out on the precious moments in life. These moments are often caught when we aren’t looking down at our phones or staring at a computer or television screen.

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