Has this ever happened to you?
- You are driving home from work and when you get there, you cannot remember part of the trip.
- You are watching a movie and you look down to find the entire bowl of popcorn is gone.
- You go into the kitchen to get something and cannot remember what or why.
These are all signs you need some mindfulness in your life!
Mindfulness can teach you to get out of your head and into the present -- which has amazing benefits for your health and results:
- Less stress
- Better memory
- Lower emotional reactivity
- Improved focus
- Flexible thinking
- Increased immune function
7 Easy Mindfulness Practices to Help Your Results
1. Eat slowly. Notice your food before you eat it -- how it looks, smells, and tastes -- and take your time to enjoy it.
2. Avoid multitasking. Give yourself permission to do just one thing at a time, and watch your stress levels reduce almost immediately.
3. Listen. When you are having a conversation with someone, really listen to what they say versus thinking about what you are going to say next.
4. Make it a routine. Pick a certain part of the day -- your morning commute, a lunchtime walk -- to simply focus and be aware of all the sensations created by your environment.
5. Mix it up. Do something different to see the world in a new way. Change where you sit at a meeting, take a new route, try a new food.
6. Give your thoughts names. When you start worrying about something, say to yourself "this is just a thought about X." Naming them takes away some of their power.
7. Breathe! Take breaks through the day and focus on breathing in and out through your nose, deep into your belly.
Your body and brain will thank you for it! -- Sara