What if we told you that you could improve your memory, increase your focus, be in a better mood, reduce stress, have more clarity and improve relationships at home and work? Doesn’t that sound amazing?!
Now you are wondering, what is the catch. Not much of a catch. Yes, it is possible but it does take 15 minutes a day. Think about what you do for 15 minutes in any given day. Watch or read the news. Does that help you feel less stressed? Or how about social media. Does that give you more clarity? Perhaps it is the 15 minutes trying to decide what to watch on Netflix. Does that put you in a better mood? (haha)
Magic of Mindfulness
The magic word is mindfulness. Mindfulness could improve your memory, increase your focus, help you be in a better mood, reduce stress, have more clarity, and improve relationships at home and work. But it takes practice. Mindfulness is not a one and done type of activity. It is a mental practice.
Challenge
Next time you are in the grocery store line, practicing observing what is happening around you. Notice if you have an urge to reach for the phone or do something else. Can you simply be in the moment, be in the line – observing?
Practice Mindfulness Anywhere
Mindfulness can be done anywhere anytime. For instance, you are in the grocery store line. A go to might be to get your phone out to check a message, email, news update or the weather. What if for the time you are in line you are simply there – observing the things going on around you and noticing how you feel inside. In noticing these things, act like a sports referee. You see someone cut ahead of someone in the line next to you. An automatic thought would be “geez, who does that person think they are”. But as a mindfulness referee you simply observe. “Huh, that person went in front of the other person”. It is noticing without judgement.
Be Compassionate To Yourself
Now let’s say you do have a judgement. “What a jerk, that person cut in front of the other”. Then you say to yourself, “whoops, I forgot to be a mindfulness (neutral) referee”. That is the compassion and kindness piece. Be kind to yourself for forgetting to be a mindfulness referee. It’s okay. We are not mindfulness robots. We are human, trying and practicing to be better versions of ourselves each day. Some days are easier than others. We practice so that on the days it does feel harder, it might feel not so hard.
Meditate - A formal mindfulness practice
Another way to practice is meditation. Meditation is a formal practice of setting aside a specific amount of time to focus your attention on being present, without judgement. If you are interested in practicing, sign up for the Midweek Meditation on Wednesdays at 2pm EDT, Noon MDT, 11am PDT. It’s 15 minutes! Why not give it a try?
Photo Credit: Photo by Flash Dantz