"Mindfulness" has become a popular buzzword recently, but it is often misunderstood. People sometimes confuse mindfulness to mean meditation or stress relief. Although these can be useful practices in being more mindful, mindfulness is really about being present, taking notice of the world, discovering new perspectives, and living with intention.
Mindfulness is a key part of our mind-body well-being. The mind and body are a single unit –– wherever you put your mind, you are necessarily putting your body. This gives us enormous control over our health and wellness and shows just how imperative it is that we develop our mindfulness. The more mindful we are, the more we increase our joy, fulfillment, and overall well-being.
Here are 4 tips to be more mindful and improve your mind-body unity:
1. Get curious about the things you think you know. There’s always more to learn!
At its core, mindfulness is simple: all you need to do is notice something new about the things you thought you already knew. There is so much that we don’t know about the world, even the parts we think we do! We’ve all been taught that 1+1=2, but that isn’t always true in the real world. 1 wad of gum + 1 wad of gum = 1 large wad of gum. Everything we think we know is based on this mistaken assumption that everything stays the same. The answer you have is not always true.
When you are mindful, you are aware that everything is changing and that things look different from different perspectives. This means all sorts of achievements are possible. Avoid making assumptions and, instead, get curious about the world. Make it a practice to notice something new about the people and things around you each day.
2. Consider that what you see as someone’s weakness might also be their strength.
If you were to make a list of the traits that you personally struggle with or are working to change about yourself, it might include things like being “gullible” or “impulsive.” But people who are “gullible” are also “trusting,” and people who are “impulsive” are also “spontaneous.” Any weakness can be a strength from a certain perspective. It’s all about how you to choose to see it.
The same is true when it comes to the way we view other people. What you perceive as a negative trait could also be one of their greatest strengths. When we have absolutes about someone, it prevents us from seeing them as anything other than that one thing. In relationships, no one is “always” something. If we choose to see the negative, we are sure to have a negative experience of and with that person. Alternately, choosing to see the positive angle of someone’s personality traits will always create a more positive experience.
3. Know that you cannot predict the “right” decision, but you can make the decision right.
We often believe that decision-making requires us to predict each of the possible outcomes, but the truth is, we can never really know what will happen. This pressure we put on ourselves to look into the future leads to stress and regret. Stress is a reaction to believing something is going to happen and that it will be awful, even though we can’t possibly know for sure. Likewise, when we have regret, we believe we’ve chosen the wrong path and assume that the path we didn’t choose was better. But it could’ve been worse or equally bad!
Remove the fear, stress, and regret by understanding that you can’t predict anything. The outcome is not good, bad, or indifferent –– it’s what you make of it. There is no “right” decision. Whatever happens can be seen as an advantage. Make a decision and be there completely. Live that decision and make it make sense for you. Whatever outcome you have, make it work for you.
4. Understand that you have unlimited potential for greatness.
Years ago, the medical world thought psychology was irrelevant to our physical health. Now, it is commonly understood that there is a connection between our minds and bodies. Our minds are far more powerful than we can imagine, but we are conditioned to believe in limitations, so we stop ourselves from going beyond.
Wellness isn’t only about connecting the mind and the body; it’s about seeing them as a single entity. When we change the mind, the body cooperates. For instance, placebos work because they convince us that we have the ability to get better, opening us to the possibility and making us mindful of the ways we are improving. Be mindful of when your body feels great or when something triggers a response. You’re more likely to find a solution if you are looking for one.
We are nowhere close to reaching the potential of what we can do. We are sparks of the Creator and contain limitless potential within us. The only thing holding you back is yourself.
Virtually all of us act mindlessly most of the time. We go through our days on autopilot, making assumptions about situations and people around us. But when we take the time to get curious, try to see new perspectives, learn new things, and stop putting limitations on ourselves, we open ourselves up to the powerful possibilities of life. Practice mindfulness each day and see the difference it creates in your mind, body, and spiritual development.
