Everyday Mindfulness

To live in #mindfulness means to take the time to stop doing, to live slowly and savor your life. We live in a world where we are constantly doing something, we are thinking about things we have not done yet and worrying about things we should do. Life in full consciousness is a life when we stop, we listen, we have time to breathe and to realize that we are still alive. You want to try have it is to live a mindful life?




Here you have 10 simple exercises that will allow you to be more present, to slow down and to savor moments:

1. Try to introduce small breaks between two actions. You are cleaning your house or doing shopping? No problem. You can practice the mindfulness everywhere you go.  When leaving the store, stop for a few seconds, take a deep breath and look at the sky. You can use the same technique at work or at home: between two tasks try to take two seconds to breathe and look around more consciously.
2. Try to eat your meals in full awareness. Sometimes we eat our meal without even notice what we just ate.  The aim of mindful eating is  not only to savor the taste of our dishes but also observe the texture and all other aspects of our food: colors , smells, sounds. Enjoy your meal!
3. Learn how to use active listening techniques, which are a valuable listening skill, to make a conscious effort to understand what people are really saying. Try to Empty your mind and really listen to what your interlocutor (coworker, chef, husband/wife, child, parent, neighbor) has to say. Try not to think about your schedule, the list of tasks to be done and focus. Feel free to ask questions to be sure you understand.
4.  Look people in the eyes. Nothing is more unbearable than a person who doesn't look at you when you talk to him. Stay attentive and look your interlocutor in the eye when he speaks to you. To go further, you can try looking in the eyes of strangers in the street or in public transport.
5.  Try to give more attention to what is happening around you. Take a sit or go to a place you are used to (your desk, your favorite chair, your window at home) and observe your environment  for at least 5 minutes, looking for details you have never noticed. Take a deep breath.  
6. Take a break and relax. This exercise requires you to leave your office, home or school, and to go breathe outside. During your lunch break, go for a walk in a park. A small square or corner with trees will be ok too. If possible, forget about your phone and other electronic devices, put them in silent mode, and spend that time focusing on the nature around you and listening to it. Immediate benefits of this exercise: your body better oxygenated and your mind more peaceful.
7. Practice micro-meditations. Before a difficult task or before facing a stressful situation or just once a day, take a break, stop and start breathing consciously, inspire and exhale deeply a dozen times. This little moment of meditation will help you empty your head, slow down your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.
8. Try to identify positive moments in your life, episodes of well-being. During the day, pay attention to all that  positive thoughts and emotions that you're experiencing , and write them down. 
9.  Start practicing #mindfulness version "CHILD" - If meditation, concentration or other mindful methods do not satisfy you, take inspiration from kids. Children perceive life differently, they are happy about small things, they stayed focused ahen they have fun, they feel the flow. Tip: Start doing some manual activities: for example drawing, coloring, modeling, can bring us in  almost meditative state. Let yourself be carried away by this activity, do not think about anything and have fun.
10. Listen to the Inner Weather Channel. After waking up, stay in your bed for another 3 minutes with your eyes closed  and try to reconnect yourself with your breath and your inner state. Focus on your, what do you feel? Take advantage of this moment to do some stretching. Now, focus on  your emotions, what is your state of mind, what are your expectations for the day that begins?  Now you are ready to get up :)