5 Ways To Be More Mindful

Mindfulness is a practice. Learning how to be more mindful takes time and a bit of work. Basically, you are working to retrain the brain from doing things on auto-pilot to doing things with focus and intent.

If you want to learn how to be more mindful, here are 5 things that you can start doing right now.

How to be more mindful

1. Do everything slowly and with intent. From writing an email to eating your salad, take your time and really be in the moment. Really focus on each activity and only do one thing at a time.
2. Take time to just be. Take a few minutes each day to just notice what is going on around you. Go for a walk, or even as you commute on the train or bus to work. Notice the sights and sounds of what is going on around you. Really take the time to be right there in the moment. Even if that moment is a crowded subway car. Taking the time to sit with these uncomfortable moments is just as important as sitting with the pleasant ones.
3. Turn off your phone. Once a day put your phone on do not disturb and connect with the people around you. It might seem really hard at first but even turning your phone off for a short period of time is helpful. I often put my phone on DnD when I am trying to focus and I find that I get so much more work done!! Just think how it would feel to do that when you are around others?
4. Journal. putting things down on paper can help you to feel more focused and happier. I regularly journal before bed and I find that it is a great way for me to get my thoughts out of my head. It’s also a way to process what’s going on which can help to deepen your awareness.
5. Avoid avoiding. If there is something that you are dreading, do it first. Instead of thinking about how much you don’t want to do, change your focus and mindset to getting it done. This is a big one for me. With projects or even just difficult calls I tend to want to avoid doing them. But they don’t go away. I just end up spending more time thinking about it than if I had just done it. Just think about how much mental energy you could free up!! So now I am actively trying to avoid avoiding. It works, but I do have to remind myself sometimes.

These are just a few beginner ways to start being more mindful. If you are really interested in learning more about mindfulness and having a deeper practice than sign up below.

[emaillocker id=5071][/emaillocker]

One of the things that I love about mindfulness is that it is about having an attitude of kindness without judgment. It’s about looking at things with a beginner’s mind. Learning how to see things in a different way. It’s also about starting again.

So even if you’ve never practiced before, and don’t know much about mindfulness, now is the time to start. Start paying more attention on purpose to what is happening around you.