My Daily Mindfulness Journey

A while ago, I wrote a post that shared all the ways I Practice Self-Care Regularly. By practicing self care regularly, I can be sure to keep my mind and body positive and happy. This post stems from that post as I delve into how I also use methods of mindfulness in conjunction with selfcare to continue my journey of self love and acceptance. 

WHAT DOES MINDFULNESS MEAN?

BENEFITS OF MINDFULNESS

How can mindfulness help you –

• decrease stress
• boast immune system
• compassion for others and situations
• control emotions
• reduce chronic pain
• reduce anxiety
• help depression
• improve experiences and moments to – clarity and objectivity in your daily life

Mindfullness has allowed me to reconnect with my mind, help me destress and reduce my  anxiety. As time moves on, every day I notice how I’m slowly feeling more content and reaching a new stage of happiness

in my life, and using mindful practices I have learnt to reduce the clutter in my head. I now have clearer thoughts and really appreciate life experiences and little daily moments that occur in my day to day life.

Lets look a little more in-depth to what a little daily practice of mindfulness can look like in a typical day and what I include on my own mindfulness journey.

SELF REFLECTION

First I started focusing on Self Reflection. Self reflection is where you take the time to sit and think about yourself, your intent and your actions. It is not just a ‘new years resolution’ kind of thing, but by taking the time for some self reflection you can make goals daily and weekly instead of waiting for the new year to say “New Year New Me”. Instead change the thought to “New day, New Me” or even “New Week, New Me!” These are more achievable and more sustainable goals that you are more likely to achieve, think short term.

This is a great way to look after yourself after having a bad day, whether its your battle with anxiety, depression or even chronic illness/pain. Here is a post I shared about my battle with Chronic Migarines. Take the time at the beginning of every week or even your day to to think about the person you want to be and what actions you are going to take to achieve this. Keep your goals light and achievable, don’t add stress to your life and take your time, you will be surprised how well you will start to feel and the positive energy you can create within yourself.

DAILY REFLECTION

Now lets talk about daily reflections, this is more than just jotting down things about your day. daily reflection is a way to really understand your feelings and your world better. Write your daily thoughts in a journal or notepad, the actions you took in your day and the outcome. The environment you are in during your daily life, think about your work, home as well as the key relationships in your life. By getting into a regular routine of taking the time to have some daily reflection in your life you can work to progress towards your personal life goals a lot quicker and more sustainable, because once you are happy in yourself and the person you are, the rest of your life will be the same.

SELF AWARENESS

Just like your daily reflection of your life, Self Awareness is focusing more on the inward reflection, the thoughts and feelings you have daily. I personally use journals, to write down worries and stresses. By taking the time to practice self awareness you are mindful of your feelings in your daily life. I found this very hard to start with and this process is not just about finding yourself but understanding yourself in order to find that deeper understanding of the person you are.

Every day I take the time to pause, I sit and take the time to reflect on my day and if a situation arises I take a step back to think with a calm and clear mind before reacting. Self awareness can challenge your thoughts. For example, if you are a short tempered person or get anxious in certain situations, be aware of how you feel and think before you act.

Mindfulness can help inspire self acceptance using the above methods, live with intention and shift your mindset, become more positive and you are on the right path to discovering yourself, who you are and practicing self love. Before you know it you will learn to love yourself a little more everyday and stop comparing yourself to others.

WHAT I DO FOR MINDFULNESS PRACTICE – MEDITATION

Now that we have discussed the little daily steps you can take to reconnect your mind and body through different aspects of mindfulness. I want to share what practices I use to focus on my mind to ensure I stay on track to a happy and positive life, for myself for a happy life.

CALM APP FOR MINDFULNESS MEDITATION

What is meditation? how can it help? Meditation is a practice of mindfulness where you sit and slowly clear your mind, focusing on the breath and nothing else, being in the present. Meditation is like other life skills, the more you practice, the easier it becomes and the changes you notice in your mind and body are incredible.

I made it my 2018 goal to learn to practice the art of meditation and as a result I downloaded the Calm Mindfulness App. This app gives great guidance and support to start or progress your meditation journey. There are many different sessions you can do, I started with the 7 Days of Meditation. For 10 minutes everyday for 7 days, I found a quiet place to sit, I closed my eyes and followed the instructions. It was very daunting and difficult in those first days as my head was full and busy, but as the days went on and the more I practiced meditation it became easier to clear my mind and discovered the amazing powers of meditation.

After using the Calm app free trial I purchased a yearly subscription which costs £35.99. You can chose what you want to practice with a huge variety of different types of practice swells a large selection of relaxation music and stories. At the end of every session there is always a life quote and I always save them to my phone to reflect on them when I need some inspiration and positivity. This app has become apart of my daily life and I highly recommend it if you are looking for this type of mindfulness.

Meditation isn’t difficult, by going at your own pace you can learn to clear your mind of clutter and worries and in that moment of being mindful you can switch off and with intent, focus on your breath. This meditation journey will help to nourish your mind making you healthy and happy just by taking the time to sit and practice mindfulness everyday. Find a time of day that works for you, where you can sit in a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed. For me this is bedtime, when the kids are in bed and the house is quiet. After only a few weeks I starts seeing and feeling the benefits in my everyday life. I was less stressed, worries and anxiety seemed to be reduced and I was proud of myself for getting out that bubble of self doubt and just being that lost soul, I have finally found myelf.

MINDFULNESS THROUGH EXERCISE

I like to keep active and over the past few years I have been practicing Pilates and Yoga and I really want to write a post discussing in depth what these two types of low intensity exercises can do, not just for the body but for your mind and the way it can reconnect both during a session. If you are interested keep an eye out for that soon.

By practicing mindfulness through exercise like yoga and pilates, you can reconnect the body with the breath and in turn reconnect the mind with the body. With every move and position you are not only strengthening the body but also clearing your mind, solely focusing on what you are doing. I forget the world when I’m practicing yoga and pilates. My body feels amazing after every session and my mind is so clear and relaxed. I feel so content and honestly one of my favourite ways to be mindful. Forget the world and its worries while exercising, strengthening your body and clearing your mind, what a great way to be mindful of your movements and thoughts.

SELFCARE IS A FORM OF MINDFULNESS

If you already practice self care and time for you then you are half way there to being mindful in your life. Self care is making time for you away from your normal routine, by yourself and being mindful of the way you are feeling. If you are looking for some self care tips then check out what Self Care I do on a regular basis.

How do you feel about mindfulness now you have read this post? What has helped you become more mindful in your life? Are you happier and healthier for practicing mindfulness?

Pinar xo