Mindfulness, a popular word that’s popping everywhere we go, but what is it really about? Today we will explore this practice and all the things it can bring to your professional and personal life.
What is mindfulness?
Simply put, it is the art of being present, at the moment, fully aware of what you’re doing. This awareness comes without feeling anxious or overwhelmed by all the things that are going on. This practice comes from the Buddhist tradition but has spread all around the world under several other disciplines and practices.
What is it good for?
According to science, mindfulness has physical and psychological benefits. Not only does it make us more aware of how we feel, but it also brings light to many patterns, symptoms, and issues that are core to our life.
Among the benefits you can find are:
– Stress reduction
– Emotional intelligence enhancement
– Lower blood pressure
– Increased focus
– Helps one cope with depression and anxiety
How to practice mindfulness?
Contrary to common belief, mindfulness isn’t only meditating. Meditation is one of many mindfulness practices and you can start by others that are more simple and doable anywhere.
Mindful breathing
This simple exercise gives you focus and balance, anywhere you are. All you have to do is stand or sit comfortably and start breathing slowly through your nose and then letting the air out through your mouth. Watch your breath and focus solely on it, increasing awareness of how your body responds to each breath.
This exercise is great for refreshing your head, gaining some clarity or just grounding yourself before any task.
Mindful appreciation
This observation and gratefulness exercise will bring more awareness to those simple things in life that make it all easier for you. Choose one or two things in your day and observe them closely, it can be a person, an animal or an object. Sit, breathe and truly watch and study it. in your process, never judge, just watch and see how thoughts about it come and go.
Making of this exercise a daily practice helps increase your gratefulness towards all the things you have and opens your eyes to the things and people that surround you.
See? Mindfulness isn’t as complicated as it seems to be. Add this simple, yet effective practice to your life for more balance and clarity. Let us know in our social media channels how it goes for you and what you’ve learned from it! A focused life is also part of the #X4Ever lifestyle.
