Lately, more and more of us are finding ourselves consumed by loads of content, activities and interactions we really don’t care about. We are seemingly drifting through life, on autopilot with no quality controls or filters for what is allowed into our spaces. We’ve reached a point where much of our daily lives are becoming mundane and we don’t really know what to do about it.

We’re up to our necks in disdain for the nonsense we mindlessly put up with, yet we continue to live as after effects of the world around us instead of the causes. How to put an end to it all?

On the other side of the spectrum there’s a couple of people who’ve figured out this thing called mindfulness. When done right it makes the days of our lives so much more fulfilling. The value it adds is unmatched. It blesses us with focus, stillness and ability to enjoy every moment. Practising mindfulness is one of those small things that when embraced, can make a big difference in every waking moment of our life. So let’s dive in and figure out what exactly it’s all  about.

The definition of Mindfulness is the practice of being consciously aware of the things happening in and around you. This means noticing the big and small in your surrounding environment. It’s an awareness of the sensations of your body and an active awareness of your thoughts. Mindfulness involves a moment to moment attentiveness to everything and anything that may be happening to you or around you and seeing these things as just things, without having personal judgement or action towards them.

Mindfulness has its roots in multiple religious teachings that speak of being conscious of oneself and what one allows to filter into the mind and soul. It’s also closely linked to meditation. It’s a state of mind that sits as a sort of lens to view the world in front of us as just the objective world. We often forget this because we usually want to add our own personal opinions and feelings to the many things we are involved in or affect us.

When we take a look at what the world has become lately, we can grow an appreciation for what mindfulness can do for us. We’re living in a time where the digital media space is having an increasing influence on our lives and many of us don’t notice it because of the way we tend to go on autopilot during busy periods in our lives or even when we are just taking it easy. We’ve become a people that take everything to heart. Without thinking we let anyones opinion of our lives send us into a mood, and the smallest inconveniences somehow turn our worlds upside down. Mindlessness at its finest. 

Often we let our thoughts define who we are or what direction our lives need to take and this shouldn’t be the case. Our thoughts are just our thoughts. They aren’t what make up our day and they shouldn’t have the power to push us to do things that don’t come naturally to us. 

Practising mindfulness allows us to see these thoughts for what they are and leave them at that. Mindfulness gives you all the control over your mind, thoughts and actions, allowing you to navigate your life from a point of rationale instead of having your emotions push you around.

Let’s walk through what life can look like when you’re just mindlessly drifting through life versus when you mindfully pave out your path.

Focus and Distractions. 

Our minds do this thing sometimes where they want to figure out everything at the same time. We can have our goals and tasks for the day but for some reason our eyes get caught by every other notification and our minds drift off to some distant place. Subsequently We don’t get anything done.

When you’re mindful and paying attention to it all you choose your priorities first. You get in the zone and acquire a sort of tunnel vision, filtering out anything that’s not meant for you. Mindfulness equips you with a focus that is unmatched. Your head only has space for the things that matter, and all that other noise takes a back seat.

Stress! Stress?

When we’re stressed our bodies are flooded with hormones that keep us in constant go-mode. We have a terrible habit of carrying our mental baggage with us wherever we go, and it never ends well. When we are tense and stressed out by thoughts of the past or the future we fail to enjoy the present moment. 

Rather, opt for a life where you pick and choose what you want to make space for in your brain. Even in the worst of moments, it’s better to accept what you can’t change and focus more on what you need to do in the ‘here and now’, if at all you have to do anything. Stress robs you of your clarity and peace, but with mindfulness many of the problems that seem bigger than life really have no strength over us. Instead we see them as just challenges waiting to be conquered.

Health

From time to time life pushes us into eating habits and activities we wouldn’t normally choose for ourselves. But because we don’t always see the whole picture, we allow unhealthy practices to ruin us. This could be working too many hours a week or depriving ourselves of sleep for one reason or the other that may be more to our detriment than we realise.

We often snack and think it’s not that big a deal in the moment but overtime, these small snacks everyday could be undoing some of the hard work you may have put in trying to eat right and control your weight. When you don’t take time to think about your daily eating habits they can really get out of control and send you down a path you’re likely to regret.

When you’re mindful of it all you quickly knock off anything that could set you back in your ways and create a healthy regime of eating and physical activity that you personally feel good about and have complete control over.

If you’ve gotten this far then I’m sure you’re wondering how to make all this a reality. 

Well….

It’s actually much easier than you may think. 

Just do it!

Whenever you listen, listen to it all. Every word, every utterance. Be fully present and attentive to everything coming at you. Mindfulness is about keeping the focus, observing how you interact with your environment, allowing you to have a better quality experience in everything you do. 

Meditation is a big stepping stone for such a practice. When you meditate, being mindful is at the centre of the practice. When you meditate you focus all your awareness on your breathing and let any thoughts that flow through your mind escape you, seeing them as just thoughts that aren’t meant to pull you in any direction. Meditation can do wonders for your mindfulness practice and even just doing it a few minutes a day can make a huge difference. You don’t need to always be in a quiet, secluded place to do it. Whether you’re taking a walk in the park or sitting at your desk, the goal is to bring your focus from your thoughts to your breathing, and letting everything else in-between wiz away.

Allow yourself to get lost in the things you’re doing. Immerse all your senses in whatever activity you’re involved in, only having eyes and ears for that one particular thing at a time. If you’re in the gym and doing a cardio session try to do your best to feel it all. From the breathless-ness to achieving a new personal record. It’s about making sure you put your all in it to get the best out of it.

You will experience some resistance. Your mind will wander and you will latch onto a couple of thoughts and ideas without noticing it, and that’s all part of the process. Nurturing the mindful mind-set takes time and seeing your progress the longer you practice will be one of the most joyful, fulfilling moments you’ll have with yourself throughout your life.

So try it out. Up the quality of your experiences as you go from mindlessly existing day to day to mindfully structuring your reality so you get the most out of it. 

Life is what you make it so we hope our helping hand is making it a bit easier for everyone.

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