I've never really been one for rigid routine schedules (eg. wake up at this time, always eat this at this time, grocery shopping on this day, social event from this time to this time, etc.) Yes, I have a little morning routine but it changes each day. I live intuitively--I listen to my body and try to decode its messages and hints. Having everything planned out to a tee actually stresses me out more than anything--I feel pressure from myself to stick to the schedule I created; and who wants to let themselves down? That being said, I do notice that I get alot more accomplished if I have not a schedule, per say, but moreso guidelines for the day ahead. I leave little post-it notes inside of cabinets, memos on my mirror and DIY dry erase boards dispersed throughout my apartment to serve as little reminders and motivators. Take this little board for example...I keep it by my coffee maker so that I'm sure to see it each and every morning. I might change this board once a week or every other week to change up my meditation routine or if there's something else I decided I want to incorporate into my mornings. I also have a board that I write out the night before because it's day-specific. I include options for breakfast, workout reminders, snack ideas and health regimens that I'd like to follow through with. Here's the one I wrote for myself last night: It's important to encourage ourselves--we can't expect anyone else to. These little reminders give me an agenda even on lazy Sundays (now, I really don't have any lazy days unless I'm utterly sick. Movement = bliss for me. These non-time-rigid guidelines help get me moving without the pressure of looking at the clock).
I take each day, one at a time, encouraging myself to be fully present in each moment. This mindful approach to each day, each hour even, help ward off anxiety and depression. I'll go more into that in a later post... Until then, remember to make each day your own. You are in control of your life. Create your reality.
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Have you ever pondered what you’re actually thinking about? What do a majority of your thoughts consist of? Have you ever thought that mental multitasking may be decreasing your experience and comprehension of what’s in front of you? Let’s look at it this way. While you’re off on your morning run, prioritizing grocery list items based on your budget and sorting through upcoming assignment dates, you probably missed that five-dollar bill just lying on the ground. You also missed the puppy with two different colored eyes who was just begging to be pet. Last but not least, you missed the advertisement for your dream job that was taped to the lamppost two blocks back. Now that you’ve been informed of what you’ve missed, are you really that upset? Probably not. It seems that most of us have become so complacent with our routine-based lives that when opportunities present themselves we are not only not upset if we miss them but also not actively seeking them either. Now let’s take the same scenario and go through some other things that were missed. Thoughts of oatmeal, dish soap, calculus equations and project proposals veil our eyes from the little girl who can’t find her mom crying down the sidewalk. We don’t notice the couple arguing behind their used Toyota, faces red and tears inevitably to follow. Finally, we trample overtop an innocent, curious caterpillar. Maybe you would never miss a five-dollar bill lying on the ground. Maybe you don’t own a pair of tennis shoes, despise the idea of running and wouldn’t even know what to do with your arms. Maybe you don’t like petting puppies. Point is, maybe we are missing out on a whole lot of living in life. We may have created a bubbled reality where only what directly affects us, concerns us. Naivety and ignorance to the max.
Mindfulness is the answer. The Google definition of mindfulness is “a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment.” It’s more than a type of meditation, mindfulness is a lifestyle choice. If we actively participate in our surroundings, we will introduce exponential gratitude and all sorts of new experiences into our daily lives. According to the concept of neuroplasticity, life experiences cause our brains to change and adapt—for the better! In other words, our minds are malleable but only if we take action and introduce mindfulness into our lives. We can rewire the way our bodies react to stress, develop new brain cells, reverse the aging process, and so much more. The simplest way to bring mindful habits into your life is to focus on your breath. Without this action, none of us would be here. Focus on each inhale as you feel your diaphragm drop and your rib cage expand. Allow your shoulders to fall toward your hips, creating length in your neck as you fully exhale. Repeat. Make each breath deeper and perhaps pause breathless in between, becoming aware of the void and the actual difference between how your body responds to breath and the lack of breath. This can be done for thirty seconds, thirty minutes, thirty days… Let’s revisit the running scenario. Practice mindfulness by concentrating on the way your feet hit the sidewalk; feel the force of the impact and then the contrast as one foot is in briefly in free air. Try to actually feel the sun on your skin, or the humidity, the raindrops, gusts of wind. Observe your surroundings and take them in. You’ll start to notice those crawling caterpillars on the pavement and your dream job may be right around the corner. Allow mindfulness to take over your thoughts and be fully present in every moment. We need to break our bubbled realities, retrain our brains and stop merely going through the motions in life. Literally stop and smell the roses. |
AuthorNature-loving, adventure-seeking, holistic and wellness advocate: Yoginiliv. Archives
May 2017
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