In today’s world, it’s common to feel that your mind and body aren’t on the same page, even while you’re physically at a conference or the dinner table. Allowing our thoughts to wander rather than focusing on the task at hand invites anxiety and other negative states of mind.
Maybe it’s time to try practicing mindfulness. Recent years have seen a meteoric rise in the popularity of the concept with its origins in Buddhism. Mindfulness refers to bringing one’s focus within while simultaneously keeping oneself attuned to one’s inner and outside experiences.
Mindfulness has several health benefits, including but not limited to: lowered anxiety and stress, enhanced ability to relish happy events, halted ruminating, improved focus, and more.
Although meditation is widely recognized as the most effective method for developing mindfulness, it’s not easy for everyone. If the idea of spending time alone with your thoughts in a quiet room makes you roll your eyes or run screaming in the other direction, then it’s not your thing. However, this does not exclude you from practicing mindfulness or developing your own brand of Zen.
If you’re not into meditation but want to improve your mindfulness, try one of these three alternatives.
Be with Nature
Spending even a short period outside has been shown to improve mental and physical health, mood, and alertness. Furthermore, a 2019 meta-analysis found that “mindfulness in nature is marginally superior to mindfulness undertaken in non-natural settings.”
You may practice natural mindfulness by running or strolling in a nearby park or along a familiar track. It’s best to focus on just one sense at a time. Whenever your thoughts stray, whether out of boredom or distraction, bring them back to whichever sensation you were concentrating on.
Have a Routine
Do you have a routine? To design a unique one, choose one or more that piques your interest. When you return home after a stressful day, put on some relaxing music and take some deep breaths. Or you may want to enroll in a dance or cooking class. Whatever you choose to do, try to maintain a regular schedule.
Focus On Your Actions
Keep your mind on your physical steps when you enter the workplace (or any other potentially anxiety-inducing building) each morning—focusing on the touch points between your feet and the ground while repeating the phrases “raising, moving, placing, shifting” Silently state “raising” as you raise your right leg, “moving” as you advance, and “placing” when your right foot touches the ground.
Focus on your actions as you switch your weight from one foot to the other. After that, repeat the steps with your left leg. Keep saying them to yourself in your head as you go along. The act of doing so will serve to alleviate otherwise unwanted concerns.
Conclusion
To find serenity inside, you don’t necessarily need to “calm your thoughts.” Even if you don’t like meditating, you can still be aware. Instead, choose something soothing, like a drive or a trip to the great outdoors. Pick creative and physically demanding pursuits that help you connect with your inner self.