Top Seven Mindfulness Tips

written by Simone on Friday, March 5th, 2010

In becoming more mindful we create more presence, peace and joy for ourselves and the world around us regardless of what is happening ‘out there.’ It is not just a tactic to reduce stress in the moment, but mindfulness creates a stable foundation to our lives and a more effective way of being in the world. How do we get there? Here are seven tips to becoming more mindful.

1. Breathe
  Long deep breathing or diaphragm breathing is the quickest way to get a calm, tranquil body and mind in the moment. Get into the habit of breathing long and deep into the belly; bring your awareness to your breath as many times in the day as you can. You will naturally become more mindful, calm, and present (or the opposite of stressful and impatient).

2. Slow down
  Doing what you have to do consciously and a little slower to start, more mindfully, brings spaciousness and a sense of relaxation to your task which in turn will give you more access to creativity and joy.

3. Do one thing at a time
  There is no such thing as multitasking! It is impossible to hold two thoughts at the same time; to try is to create stress in the mind and body. Concentrate on one thing at a time, do it consciously and then move on to the next, see what happens.

4. Be kind and gentle in everything you do
  This isn’t just being nice, negative energy (critical, judgmental thoughts) requires more effort than positive energy (kindness and ease). Not only will you get more done, the outcome of what you do will be more impactful and energized for yourself and everyone around you.

5. Practice gratitude
  Notice this is worded as ‘practice gratitude,’ rather than ‘be grateful.’ Practicing gratitude changes the ‘how’ you are in the world. It is not so much about what you are grateful for as it is consistently looking, an exercise that trains the mind to be in the habit of focusing, and then growing, the positive and squeezing out the negative. Remember whatever we focus on grows but this not automatic it requires a retraining of where we choose to place our awareness.

6. Listen
  Listening to the other person isn’t so much about what the other person is saying (well it is a little)  but about how we change the energy in the room when we are completely present and attentive. Truly listening, (not waiting to comment) and allowing the person to be exactly as they are, allowing the moment to be exactly how it is, allows for the space required for transformation – you don’t have to do anything  just be there completely.

7. Meditate
  Meditation practice is the specific training of the mind so that we can be more mindful and present in everything we do, which of course brings more joy and peace along with it. Just like strength training for the long distance runner, mind training or meditation is necessary for those committed to being mindful, conscious, connected and happy regardless of what is going on ‘out there.’