By Deepak Mittal
More and more people hope to develop a Zen mindset.
Achieving Zen, however, is not about simply reorganising one’s life and work around the age of 30. Instead, it focuses on cultivating a sense of serenity through discipline, harmony and love.
Being mindful enables one to remain fully present in one’s experiences and pay attention to what is going on. While practising mindfulness consistently can have significant benefits for the body, mind and spirit, it's not always simple in the beginning.
Stress at work and pressure from relationships get incredibly hard to handle, especially in your mid-thirties. First of all, stress cannot be physically handled by the body, and managing it mentally may be more difficult.
A person may experience stress for a variety of reasons, some of which may be more complicated than the problems they dealt with earlier in life.
But practising mindfulness and being in the now can help reduce stress and enable people to live joyful, distraction-free lives.
Here are 10 tips to practise mindfulness in everyday life:
Pay attention to the breath
Breathing is a natural process that occurs rhythmically and naturally. When people pay attention to their breath, it takes them out of their mind and into the body.
As a result, a person can momentarily free himself or herself from the churning thoughts, worries and fears, reminding the person of who he or she is – the inner spirit, not the thoughts.
Eat mindfully
A lot of people have got into the habit of scoffing down their meals while they are distracted by mobile phones, TV or constant conversation.
This doesn't allow them to enjoy the delicious taste and smell of the food. Also, they are less likely to feel nourished and satisfied because they have "missed out" on the fact that they have eaten.
Instead of getting distracted while eating, one must focus all the attention on the food and enjoy every single bite. Mindfulness should be brought to almost every daily activity, like bathing, walking, doing chores, and so on.
Connect with the senses
The senses – smell, touch, taste, sound and sight – are the gateways into the present moment. But when people are lost in thought, they don't experience what the senses are picking up.
Therefore, it is important to pause to soak up the beautiful aroma of the coffee, the misty mountain air, the diversity and beauty of the flowers in the neighbourhood…
One should put love and attention into everything to experience the joy and peace it can bring.
Observe unpleasant emotions
Feeling upset, annoyed or down is common among human beings. But it is essential not to try to impose a different emotion on what one is experiencing at the moment.
Being in the present moment and opening up the sentiment is an excellent way to practise mindfulness without immediately running away from it.
Alternatively, one should see oneself as separate from emotion.
Bring awareness to the communication patterns
Talking and listening, along with periods of silence, is a part of the communication process humans are adapted to. Therefore, one should notice the states of mind during these activities to bring mindfulness into communication. Significantly, one must notice the silence and the sounds in between the silence.
Don't believe everything that comes to your mind
People shouldn't believe everything they think. The mind often draws inferences and makes assumptions that aren't true. Thoughts are images, words and sounds that pop up in the mind.
But most of the time people get hooked on their thoughts and believe them to be true. But one doesn't need to do this. While practising being present in the moment with mindfulness can help one stay calm and relaxed, thoughts will creep into the mind.
The idea is to change the relationship with thoughts. Seeing thoughts as just thoughts instead of facts makes a real difference.
Meditate daily
Meditation can bring immense benefits to body and mind, as well as increase energy, inspiration, happiness, and inner peace.
One doesn't have to sit for hours to meditate. Even 10 minutes a day can have a positive impact on your life. It will also strengthen the mindfulness muscles, so you will find it much easier to stay in the moment throughout the day.
Practise gratitude
Gratitude happens to be the best attitude. Gratitude is when a person discovers how to want what he or she has, and not want what he or she does not.
Gratitude can be practised at this very moment. A person should think of how blessed he/she is to have a certain thing – for example, good books. Other people may not have the means to buy such books. Also, one should be grateful there is food on one’s plate in a world where millions of people die of hunger.
Listen actively
When talking to another person, one should listen actively without thinking of how to respond to what the other person has to say. In a conversation, it is important to try to listen actively while giving the other person one’s whole attention.
Listen with the ears, heart and intuition. This can help change the quality of your conversations.
Designate time for specific things
One should keep certain times of the day set aside for specific activities. A time for work, a time for bathing, a time for cleaning, and a time for eating.
This ensures that those things get done on a regular basis without any hindrance. One can designate time for one’s own activities, whether that is work or cleaning or exercise or quiet contemplation.
Mindfulness is something people should practise each and every moment of their lives. Practise these tips to not only stay mindful, but also to feel happier and stay positive in life.