Mindfulness is essentially the practice of focusing on your immediate surroundings.
It is associated with things like meditation, yoga, controlled breathing, etc.
When you practice mindfulness, you clear your mind and focus only on what is around you.
There are actually a lot of benefits associated with mindfulness.
In this article, you are going to be introduced to just 4 of the many benefits associated with mindfulness.
1) An improved ability to focus
One of the main benefits of mindfulness is how it teaches you to focus on what is in front of you.
A lot of people struggle with focusing on the task at hand, their minds wander.
This is understandable; after all, people in modern society tend to be overloaded with worries and things that they need to do.
However, being unable to focus can lead to problems in both your work and home life.
Mindfulness trains people to focus their minds on things like their surroundings, their own body, etc.
2) Greater control over their emotions
A major component of mindfulness is learning how to channel your emotions and feelings. Many people suffer from an inability to control their emotions.
They become frazzled easily and make bad decisions.
I am sure that if you think about your own family, you can probably identify several people who suffer from an inability to control their emotions.
Mindfulness requires people to channel their emotions.
Because of this, during highly stressful or otherwise emotional times, mindful people are able to take a few minutes, calm themselves down, and think rationally.
3) Reduced stress levels
One of the most useful benefits of practicing mindfulness is how it can alleviate stress.
Everyone has to deal with some level of stress, but for many, stress can be crippling.
Practicing mindfulness can’t make the source of your stress go away, but it can help you cope with it more effectively than other stress relief strategies.
You clear your mind and focus on things that don’t cause stress.
Since your mind isn’t clouded by stress, it gives you time to think about solutions to whatever it is that is causing the stress in the first place.
4) Better memory
Practicing mindfulness is able to improve your memory for two reasons. Firstly, stress (which mindfulness alleviates) can make your memory worse.
So, by getting rid of stress, mindfulness enables you to be able to focus and remember things better.
Secondly, mindfulness is like a workout for your brain. Your brain is like a muscle, by working out your brain, it gets stronger.
How to Make Time for Mindfulness
Mindfulness can help many different aspects of your life, and if you understand the benefits, it’s time to start thinking about how to fit it into your busy routine.
At first, you may feel like you’re already too busy and you can’t possibly find time to start doing something new.
However, finding time to be more mindful doesn’t have to be difficult, and here are some of the easiest ways you can incorporate it into your day.
1) Spend less time online
Think about the time that you spend online – like most of us it’s probably a fair bit of your day.
When you’re in bed at night, are you on your phone or playing a game?
When you finish work, are you watching movies or checking Facebook for the latest updates?
Before you log on, force yourself to take just 5-10 minutes to spend time being mindful.
This could be writing down some thoughts from the day, sitting down to meditate or practising a couple of new yoga moves.
2) Be mindful while you commute
If you commute to work every day, this is a great opportunity to spend your time doing something useful.
Many commuters spend around an hour or more per day travelling, whether it’s on the train, bus or in your car.
During this time, you can allow yourself at least a few minutes to practise mindfulness.
Think about how you feel in the moment, the people around you and what you think and feel about different things.
3) Wake up 5 minutes earlier
If you want to make sure you get something done, the best time to do it is in the morning.
Rather than setting your alarm for 7am, wake up at 6:55am and spend the first five minutes of your day meditating or being mindful.
Not only will this get your day off to a great start, but you’ll feel positive about the fact you’ve managed to do something worthwhile even before you’ve had breakfast!
4) Establish a routine
Rather than trying to find a new place and a new way to be mindful every day, keep the same routine.
If you decide to practise mindfulness when at the gym, try to do this on a regular basis.
If you want to wake up earlier to do it, establish a new earlier morning routine in order to accommodate this.