5 Habits To Become A More Mindful Person

Why do some people cope with challenges or issues gracefully, remaining calm and peaceful, while others succumb to it? Mindfulness could be the answer.

“Mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” – Marsha Lucas

Most of us spend our time jumping from one thought to another, paying no attention to the present moment. While this can work for us most of the time, we are often missing great opportunities by not being present. Although the world is a busy place, it’s essential to stop and reflect. We must strive towards being more mindful and self-aware.

Here are the 5 key habits of highly mindful people and what experts say about them.

SEE ALSO: Why We Must Examine Our Shadows

Meditate

Mindfulness comes with meditation, say the experts. Meditation is an active process that enables you to identify your feelings and emotions while enhancing your self-awareness. According to Harvard’s research study, meditation transforms the physical structure of your brain, and when you practice daily, your mindfulness becomes readily apparent.

Your mind is a natural wanderer that jumps from one thought to another in a blink of an eye. As meditation teaches you to slow down your racing thoughts, pay attention to your thought patterns, and calm your mind. You will become more aware of yourself and others, too!

‘’Meditation is almost like a reboot for your brain and your soul’’, these are the words by world-renowned Padmasree Warrior, the chief technology and strategy officer of Cisco Systems. Try to maintain a meditation routine of at least 10 minutes per day, preferably in the morning. This will enable the energy of mindfulness to carry you throughout the day.

Embrace imperfections

‘’There’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.’’ – Leonard Cohen

Perfectionism kills happiness, and mindful people understand that aiming for unrealistic goals will only lead to disappointment and failure. Don’t always seek perfection in things, soften your expectations, and embrace your uniqueness. The first step to changing anything is awareness. When you become aware of your imperfections and embrace this uniqueness of yourself, then your experience of life will be far more inspiring and beautiful.

Create

Mindfulness and creativity go hand-in-hand. Creating art is an alternative therapy for those who are struggling with a silent meditation. If you want to become mindful, express yourself through your art, engage in your personal creative practice, and let your thoughts flow. Art is a form of therapy, and many great artists have said that their creativity has helped them anchor down their rambling thoughts and aligning them. Creative work facilitates your mindfulness and gets you into a state of consciousness and self-awareness.

Mindfulness is the absence of stress. Mindful people remain calm even in unpleasant situations and have high cognitive abilities. When you create something, whether it’s singing a song, baking something, doodling, or painting, stress vanishes, and your thoughts become quiet.

Go outside

Spending time in nature is one of the most potent ways to reboot and freshen your mind and also helps your memory and focus. Working constantly is not what mindful people do; they know when to give themselves a break from the hectic life routine. Researchers have found that being outside relieves stress and boosts your mood as you become aware of the surroundings and yourself. Nature teaches you to pay attention to even the minor things around you, hence uplifting your mindfulness practice.

Practice the habit of daily taking a walk or going for a hike once in a while. Pay attention to the environment, feel the breeze, and observe carefully how the weather shifts to enlighten your soul with the secrets of the universe.

Uni-task

There is a myth that multitasking increases productivity; in reality, it drains out the energy faster and makes you less efficient. Multitasking is the enemy of focus. Studies have found that when your attention is interrupted, people are 50% more likely to commit errors and take extra time to accomplish the task.

The human brain is meant to focus only on one thing at a time.

Many of us spend our days in the state of multitasking and divided attention, which decreases our mindfulness and takes away the awareness of the present. In contrast, the mindful way is to attend to one thing at a time, give your complete focus to it and take a break after completing it. So make it a habit to uni-task and take regular breaks to be extra productive and improve your performance. If you adopt these habits, I assure you a highly mindful mind, along with self-awareness and calmness.