Being mindful is about being present. It’s about finding ways to ground oneself in a world that continually creates a natural sense of disassociation.
We’re living beings with the ability to control our world on a level utterly unseen in nature. This creates a disconnect between what we really are at our core and what we perceive ourselves to be in our creation.
Modern humans are in a constant state of primal confusion. We must continuously force perspective upon ourselves to see what’s going on around us and accept the things we cannot control. Being mindful, grounded, and aware of these factors goes a long way to creating inner peace, from which we can really be and live how we wish to.
Technical practice
Introducing physical practices and disciplines in our lives can go a great distance for us towards our Zen destination. These can range from the rigid disciplines of martial arts to the soft, thought-provoking practices of Yoga and Tai-Chi. The human body is ill-equipped to process all of the mental strains we put on ourselves when it is not fully connected. This isn’t all about being physically fit; it’s really about knowing yourself and your body. Get a feel for who you are, feel how your feet stretch from the ground to your head. Understand exactly where your control lies and where it ceases to be.
Stress relief
Being mindful, at its core, should ease stress. We should find ways to eliminate negativity and control our ability to focus and hone in on what is of actual value to it. The things we carry in our mind and our hearts will always weigh down our body, spirit, and emotional energy as well. We need to focus and to decide what makes us happy, what brings us pain, and what we aim to do about that.
The reality is that life is mostly suffering, so what we have to do is decide what is worth suffering for.
Gratitude
Be appreciative. As corny as it sounds, taking a few minutes every day to think about gratitude and to focus on our blessings is huge. It’s easy to take for granted the great things in one’s life that have become to feel a routine or a fact. If we don’t force ourselves to consider our appreciation, we might soon move to a point where we’ve all but forgotten how lucky we are. There are gratitude-based practices you can take out of your mind and into day-to-day life like doing one good deed for a stranger each week or even challenging yourself to respect the earth and learn to recycle or live a zero waste lifestyle
Meditation
Meditation is a great way to ground oneself and increase mindfulness. Taking a few minutes every day to focus inward and find release from self can increase a person’s long-term capacity for peace tenfold.
The root of stress and anxiety
We need to really determine what causes us the most stress and elevate it. Think about your job. Could you take a job making ten percent less that would make your forty percent less miserable? If so, you should really consider taking that opportunity and acknowledge that you’re trading that ten percent in exchange for peace of mind and a life you actually enjoy living.
Expanding your realm of experience
Travel is huge. We have a real tendency to get stuck within our bubble of experience and our narrow field of vision of the world, and it’s easy to take it for granted. Sometimes you really have to see the world to find yourself. Climb a mountain, have incredible colors thrown all over you in Bali, or go deep-sea fishing and look out into the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. Find yourself taken aback by how little you’ve really seen of what lies beyond your life’s reach.
When traveling, you must be ready. The economics of traveling can often ruin the experience and the opportunity for growth for those unprepared. Sometimes it’s tempting to use high-interest credit cards and inevitably plop more stress upon your heads, potentially ruining their recollection of the travels and causing them to forget the lessons they learned along the way. Consider switching to lower-interest credit union loans instead, allowing yourself less stress and worry.
Getting yourself back out into your core is what being mindful and being grounded is all about. The only real currency we have is time in this world, and you should really be investing yours into creating better times in the future. Find your peace, appreciate the world, get in touch with your body and who you are, and eliminate unnecessary stress.