How Mindful Living Can Help You Enjoy EVERY Moment!

Mindful Living: Stay Present In The Moment

Mindful living is a way of being more present and aware. By living in the moment you can truly start to enjoy every little moment, even the seemingly average day-to-day routine stuff like brushing your teeth or driving to work. I know it sounds crazy right? But being fully present, helps you do these tasks better because you’re giving it your full attention. It also helps keep you from overthinking or dwelling on things.

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Mindful living can improve your life and your relationships. Let’s look at how it can change your life.

Why Mindful Living & Being Present In The Moment Matters

You may have already heard about the many benefits of present moment thinking. When you live in the present, the many stressors of the mind don’t bother you as much and you start to really enjoy every moment instead of shifting to autopilot.

But, if you’ve ever tried to stay in the present for a long period of time, you’ll notice that your brain automatically travels to your past and future. It’s totally normal.

Mindful Living Takes Practice!

Even some of the most skilled present moment thinkers still have times when it gets hard to stay in the moment. It’s practically impossible to stay completely present all the time. With practice, it does becomes easier, but there will always be times here and there when you get distracted. Don’t let that keep you from trying.

When you first begin to think in the present moment, you may be tempted to feel impatient and frustrated or even unsatisfied. Frustration will only make things worse and is the opposite of what you’ve set out to accomplish. Instead, look at it as a good thing. If you’re frustrated, then you’re noticing when your mind starts to wander and you can return it back to the present.

Be A Mindful, Present Parent

Make yourself a priority and you’ll be able to be more present for your family. Rather than thinking about what you have to do that night, enjoy the moments you have with your children and husband. Focus on that moment, and not the past or future moments. You can tackle those when they come.

Not being present as a parent usually leads to mom guilt.

Mindful living can help improve your parenting and relationship with your kids.

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Mindful Living Starts With Meditation

Mindfulness and mindful living starts with meditation.

Meditation is based on the idea of being in the present moment. It’s an excellent practice to pick up in your life. Try to make time to do it every day. Try to meditate around the same time each day, too, for the best results. I like to meditate first thing in the morning, for just about 15 minutes. It’s the perfect way to start your day off right.

You can look up traditional methods of meditation, or you can simply discover your own practice. It’s best to get yourself into a comfortable seated position and then begin following your breath. Take slow, deep breaths, one at a time, because you’re in no rush.

Benefits Of Meditation

Meditating allows you to practice staying in the present moment during a time that you’re alone and avoiding distractions. You’ll be able to notice the times when your mind is really active versus the times when you’re calmer. Once you’ve mastered this awareness, you can begin to apply your skills to other portions of your day to expand the amount of time that you spend in the present moment.

Mindful Living: Make Time for Yourself

It sounds simple enough, but one of the most difficult obstacles to present moment thinking seems to be just making time for you.

You might tell yourself that it’s time to meditate, but your mind nags you to accomplish one more thing before bedtime. Before you know it, you feel as if you don’t have any time for yourself. This is when you need to put your foot down and make it a priority. Your thoughts are just habits and habits can be changed, with practice.

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Practices To Enjoy Every Moment In Your Routine

The next step is to practice while you’re going through the motions and routine of everyday life. Of course, you’ll want to reference your past and future during certain times. It’s to be expected; but, make an effort to avoid letting your mind dwell outside the present. Make your decisions using the past and future as necessary, and then move on with your life in the present.

Staying Present In The Moment

After you’ve mastered some meditation techniques, try meditating during those times of the day when you’re doing something on autopilot. Instead of allowing your mind to wander, stay present as you engage in activities like brushing your teeth or waiting for the coffee to be ready. Notice the sounds and smells of your coffee percolating and visualize the dirt lifting from your teeth, revealing pearly whites.

As you continue to practice, you’ll notice more opportunities where you can stay in the present moment. Seize these opportunities whenever you can and enjoy the many benefits of mindful living! You’ll also notice your life improving because you’re doing everything more effectively.

Once you learn a little more about mindfulness and how mindful living can help you, it is time to start putting it into action. This begins with adding it to your daily routine, so that you get accustomed to this new way of thinking. Here are some tips for adding mindfulness to your daily routine.

Mindful Living During Daily Activities

One of the easiest ways to add mindfulness to your daily routine is to focus on it during regular activities. These are things you do each and every day, when your mind tends to wander. Think about what your thoughts were while taking a shower or brushing your teeth this morning. You were probably thinking of what you need to do that day, planning your meals, or even thinking about stressful situations you need to work.

Sometimes I even have to ask myself ‘Did I already wash my hair?’ because I wasn’t fully present. But when I take the time to be present with my shampoo, I add a little extra scalp massage and do a better job.

These daily tasks are perfect for being more mindful. Think about the act at hand, not anything else. Really focus on the feel of the warm water hitting your body in the shower, the smell of your soap, and the sound of the water trickling down. The sensation of massaging your scalp, removing the build up and helping hair follicles breath. This is what mindfulness is at its core.

Mindful Living: Focus On Your Breathing

When you are busy being mindful during your daily activities, make sure you focus on your breathing. This is a good way to start out when you aren’t quite ready to do these small mindful meditation sessions. Focus just on your breathing when your other thoughts try to creep into your mind.

Mindful living really can change your life and help you enjoy every moment, more!