Before we dive into a simple technique I call everyday mindfulness I want to share a quick story…
As I was getting ready with my family before our wedding I was determined to be mindful, meanwhile, my wife and her family members were jamming out and twerking in another room! For me it’s all about balance right, so, maybe in this situation my balance could have been mindful twerking – ya I’m sure it’s a thing.
Enough about twerking – let’s get to everyday mindfulness.
…Maybe I should add in mindful twerking into my routine?
Ok.. back to the topic at hand…
What is everyday mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.
Who practices everyday mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a journey that many of us are on and as a matter of fact, earlier this year, our collective journey has been referred to as “Mindfulness Culture” by Forbes.
According to a Consumer Trends report on forbes.com “…Consumers are prioritizing self-care and mental wellness, and younger generations are pursuing careers that fulfill their passions and provide work/life balance.”
How inspiring is that? That means you are on the path!
Consumers are prioritizing self-care and mental wellness – but we all already knew that.
Mindfulness apps on our phones
I’m sure many of you have at least one mindfulness app or meditation app on your phones. I hope you use them! My everyday mindfulness practice starts every morning as I meditate at least once throughout the day and typically as I fall asleep.
My everyday mindfulness practice has built up quite a bit over the years and now is a perfect time to share this with you. As I mention in my article Covid-19, Changes & Our Evolution, now is the perfect time to create the lives we want to live and live proactively.
Everyday mindfulness is a simple tool to enhance your life!
It took me a LONG time before I truly understood why they call mindfulness a “practice”. It’s like going to the gym, you have to make yourself do it for a while then it becomes part of your life. If you don’t cultivate it and keep up with it – it will fall away like so many other self-care practices we all strive for.
It’s like going to the gym, you have to make yourself do it for a while then it becomes part of your routine and your life.
The question remains:
How can we keep up with everyday mindfulness while we are keeping up with the craziness in the world?
When we are staying informed by the news but not being in fear, working with children on their schoolwork, taking conference calls, deadlines, never-ending inboxes, and to-do lists, and oh-my-gosh I forgot I desperately need an oil change? (Seriously, don’t forget to get the oil changed – another lesson learned from my 20s.)
Balance the crazy with self-care.
We are constantly being pulled and pushed by our own culture to be better, stronger, faster, more successful, more beautiful, more in shape, a better mother, a better friend, better at twerking… all future states of “happiness”.
With this constant pressure, we’ve all experienced challenges balancing our self-care.
We are constantly being pulled and pushed by our own culture to be better, stronger, faster, more successful, more beautiful, more in shape, a better mother, a better friend, better at twerking… all future states of “happiness”.
Now, please take a deep breath in and exhale out.
Ah, that’s better.
My favorite spiritual teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, says, and read this quote slowly:
“The miracle of mindfulness is, first of all, that you are here.
Being truly here is very important – being here for yourself, and for the one(s) you love.
How can you love if you are not here? A fundamental condition for love is your own presence.
Fortunately, being here is not a difficult thing to accomplish.”
Now read it again, slowly.
Thich Nhat Hanh is a total rock star at everyday mindfulness.
Awareness is the first step to practicing everyday mindfulness. (Here is more on Thich Nhat Hanh’s everyday mindfulness practice)
Start with Awareness.
Notice things. Notice everything. The way the light shines in through the window in the morning, the way your coffee tastes when you sip it slowly, the way you breathe deep into your belly when you pay attention… it’s that simple.
One of the most beautiful realizations I’ve had is when I make space for everyday mindfulness, meditation, gratitude, and reflection… my life opens up because there is so much more space to receive. I’ve found that my practice has grown into who I am.
Find out in my next blog post: 6 Mindfulness Practices To Try During The Pandemic – Spoiler alert – You’re already doing them so it’s super easy!
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