Minimalism and mindfulness

I’ve talked about many different approaches to understanding mindfulness.  However, maybe these ideas just haven’t resonated with you yet.  That’s perfectly okay, everyone have different preferences.  That’s what makes us unique and human.  But what if I told you that there’s another way to connect mindfulness to your everyday life?

That’s right folks, there is yet another way.  I’m talking about minimalism.  Some of you may be familiar with the term, and others not so much, but thats okay!  Today I will be breaking down what minimalism is and explaining how its practices can relate to mindfulness.  Then I will be referencing another source’s minimalist mindfulness challenge, explaining how it works and the different activities involved.

In the words of Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, minimalism is, “a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.”  Many of these components are similar to mindfulness.  First of all, excess distractions cause us to not focus at the task at hand.  In these circumstances we are not being mindful of our actions.  I’ve mentioned this before in reference to multitasking.  By using minimalism to weed out excess distractions, we can become more mindful.  Mindfulness is also about focus.  Focus is also mentioned in the definition of minimalism.  We could argue that by focusing on what’s important we are being mindful of our values, which is very important to our mental and spiritual well being.  The one thing I’d really like to focus on from this definition is freedom.  Minimalism really capitalizes on freedom.  When you let the unnecessary things go, whether it be possessions or habits, you allow the rest of your life to fall into place.  This can be a freeing feeling, very similar to the freeing feeling you get from meditating or living in the present moment.  I think that once you connect all of these ideas together, that’s when you find the happiness and fulfillment.

From here I’d like to discuss the minimalist mindfulness challenge and how we can seamlessly incorporate minimalism and mindfulness into our everyday lives.

The thirty day challenge was created by Anuschka Rees.  Many of these minimalism challenges directly relate to mindfulness.

One of them is staying offline for a day.  This allows you to eliminate multitasking.  Think about how many times you’re on the computer while doing something else.  Probably a lot right? By staying offline you would be able to be more focused at the task at hand.

One of the challenges is to actually meditate for fifteen minutes.  This just proves that mindfulness and minimalism go hand in hand.  Getting rid of the clutter in your mind can motivate you to get rid of the physical clutter in your life and vice versa.

One of the challenges is about identifying your priorities.  As I’ve mentioned before, when you narrow down what’s important you can more easily eliminate distractions.  This is certainly important when it comes to mindfulness.

A couple other challenges are about cleaning out various areas of your home.  Again this relates to the clutter concept.  Cleaning out the clutter in your home will allow you to be more mindful.

Practicing single tasking is also part of this challenge.  By now I’m pretty sure it goes without saying that this is a huge part of mindfulness.

There’s also a challenge to go on a mindful walk.  This can really help to clear your head, which is beneficial for both mindfulness and minimalism.

There’s even a challenge to practice gratitude.  Gratitude is an important part of mindfulness as well.  Being grateful for what you have can really put you in a better mood, and put some of your anxieties in perspective.

Leaving a whole day unplanned is another suggestion.  This could be a great way to just live in the present moment and not worry about what’s going to happen next.  I know I find this very difficult, and I’m sure many others feel the same.

These are some of the many different challenges available on the thirty day mindful minimalist challenge.  It’s a great opportunity to try and link the concepts together.  I hope this has inspired you to take a stab at both mindfulness and minimalism.

Have you ever tried minimalism? What do you think of these ideas?  Let me know in the comments!

Remember: Everyone starts out as a beginner, if they can do it then so can you.

 

Mindful Musings

A mental health journey through mindfulness.

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Ways to be mindful during summer

We all know that mindfulness is extremely beneficial.  We also know that in order to get the most out of it, you have to practice it daily.  This might be all fine and good in the beginning, but after doing it for so long it can get difficult.

In my own experience, I can say that this has certainly happened to me.  Last semester I was really invigorated by getting a new mindfulness app.  I was so excited to use it since it had so many series to choose from.  Each of the series lasted about a week long.  I figured it was perfect and that I’d never get bored because there were so many options.  Unfortunately after about a couple weeks, I was already bored with just using the app.  It wasn’t that I didn’t like it, but I just needed something else to keep me motivated.

Are you looking for something else too? Well this is the perfect time to do so.  Even if you’re not, summer is a great time to meditate.  So in honor of the first official day of summer, I’m going to talk about some ways in which you can incorporate mindfulness into your summer routine!

Meditate Outside

I’ve found that doing this can be so relaxing.  Just put on your favorite meditation track, and let nature be the perfect background.  You can even do an unguided meditation and just focus on being one with your surroundings.  I realize that sort of sounds cliche, but it can be very powerful!  Feel the breeze on your skin, notice the birds chirping in the distance.  Notice the brightness of the sun and how it bounces off the leaves on the trees, and just breathe in the warm fresh air.  You’ll be amazed at how calm you will feel.

Bonus: it can be a great way to get going on your tan.  Especially if you’re like me and are still pasty white in June!

Go for a walk

Walking can be a great way to clear your mind.  There are actually meditations specifically designed for walking! I’ve found that this can make you feel more grounded and make your problems seem a little bit easier to deal with.  Even if you don’t have a guided meditation, I’ve found the best technique for mindful walking is to just notice how it feels to walk.  It might sound strange, but I’d be willing to bet that you’ve never thought about it before.  This really trains you in keeping your attention focused.  Not to mention this can be a great way Even if you don’t have time to just go out on a walk, you can incorporate this into any walk you might take throughout the day.  Whether it be at the grocery store, at work, on your commute, or wherever else you might be!  All it takes is being in the moment and noticing how you’re feeling.  I’d recommend starting with just planned walking sessions in order to build the habit.  Before you know it, you’ll just start incorporating into your daily life naturally.

Make a trip to the beach

If you are able to get to one, the beach is a great place to meditate.  Why bother using nature sound effects when you have nature right in front of you?  Just lay out in the sand and listen to the waves.  This can be a good opportunity to practice a breathing focused meditation.  See if you can sync your breathing with the sound of the waves.  Don’t think too hard about it.  Just concentrate on what you hear and you may end up synching with the sound of the waves.  If counting is more your style, you can always count the breaths.  This can actually be a good way to time them as well.  Many different meditation programs use counting breaths for relieving anxiety, and what would be a better place to relieve your anxiety than at the beach?

Also, you still have the bonus of getting a great tan if that’s something you’re interested in.  (Can you tell I really want to go get a tan?)

Well those are just some of the many different ways that you can incorporate mindfulness into summer fun!  I hope I’ve inspired some of you to start practicing mindfulness, to get out of a meditation rut, or maybe even just gave you some new ideas to try.

Have you ever done any of these ideas? What do you think of them? Do you have any other summer mindfulness ideas? Let me know in the comments!

Remember: Everyone starts as a beginner, if they can do it so can you!

 

Mindful Musings

A mental health journey through mindfulness.

 

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5 Ways to Incorporate mindfulness into Your Day

When starting your mindfulness journey, figuring out how to make time for mindfulness can be a struggle.  You realize what a benefit it will be to your health, but you don’t necessarily think you can put in a full thirty minute meditation session.  Honestly, you might even still be hesitant about the whole concept of meditation.

This is especially true if you don’t always have time for a full blown meditation, or maybe we just don’t think we do.  An article in the Huffington Post about finding time to meditate states that most of the time we just don’t think we have the time, even though many of us spend plenty of time scrolling through social media.  Honestly, this is something that even the seasoned pros of mindfulness struggle with.

So, today I’m going to give you five different ways to make that time.  Some of them would allow time for meditation, others would allow you to simply have time to be mindful of the present moment.  Don’t worry if you’re confused about how to be mindful without meditation.  I’ll explain this in more detail later in the article.

1. First thing in the Morning

This has to be one of my favorite times to meditate.  Just think of it, what better way to greet the day than meditating and enjoying the present moment?  I personally enjoy using guided meditations, many of which can be found on various apps and websites.  There are even specific morning meditations, but you don’t necessarily have to use them.  Another way to meditate in the morning is to simply set a timer and just be still.  Notice how your body is feeling that day, without being judgmental, and just let your thoughts be as they are.  I have found that it’s best to do this meditation in the same place every day.  I find that doing this puts me in a better place throughout the day.

2. When you Brush your Teeth

Alright, I know this probably sounds weird, but this is a great example of a mindfulness moment that really doesn’t need guidance.  The first time I’d heard of this meditation was from a mindfulness class that I took.  The premise revolves around preventing your mind from wandering.  What are you usually thinking about when you brush your teeth? Probably everything but brushing your teeth, right?  Well, for this exercise, when you go to brush your teeth try to actually focus on what you’re doing.  Notice what you feel, taste, hear, etc., and just let thoughts come and go without judgement.  It’s a great way to train your mind to stop racing, even if it’s only for a few minutes.  Those few minutes can train your brain to be more mindful throughout the day.

3. When you take a Work Break

This is also a very simple way to incorporate mindfulness into your day.  I’m sure when many of us take a work break, we tend to reach for our phone so that we can mindlessly scroll through social media for a few minutes.  Well, instead of doing that, practicing mindfulness is a great way to use your time when taking a break.  There are plenty of guided meditations for work breaks.  I know I’ve found a few that I like on the app, Simple Habit.  Again, if you’d rather do an unguided meditation, that’s perfectly okay too.  I recommend simply checking in with how you’re feeling in that moment, noticing the breath, while not making an effort to change or judge anything.  As I mentioned before it’s also important to just let thoughts come and go during the mindfulness practice.

4. When you’re on a Commute

This is another one of my favorite times to be mindful.  You can approach this a number of different ways.  If you’re walking, you can try a walking meditation (Simple Habit has these too).  You can also just take the time to notice your surroundings.  Focus on what you see, hear, smell, etc.   I Personally love doing this while I’m walking to class.  It really gives me an opportunity to clear my head throughout the day.  You can also do a similar practice while driving.  Of course, it is important to make sure that you remain aware while driving, you wouldn’t want to lose yourself in your thoughts and risk hurting yourself or others.

5. Before you go to Bed

I also really like practicing a mindfulness meditation at this point in the day.  The concept is very similar to meditating in the morning.  There are many different kinds of meditations that can even help you fall asleep (Simple Habit has these too, can you tell I like that app?).  Many professionals say it’s bad to fall asleep while meditating but personally I think it’s a great way to fall asleep.  Even if you don’t use a guided meditation, you can simply focus on your breath.  You know the old expression of counting sheep?  Well, they might’ve been on to something.  Many mindfulness professionals recommend counting breaths to relax you.  This is of course also a great way to fall asleep.

I hope at least one of these ways to be mindful has resonated with you today.  It’s also important to note, that you don’t have to do all of these in one day (although if you do more power to you, I can assure you that it’s worth it).  Maybe just start out by dipping your metaphorical mindfulness toe in the water by trying one of these exercises.  I can say from experience that even just one of them can make a difference.

So what do you think about the ideas I’ve given? Have any of you tried them? What did you like or dislike about it? Do you have any other ways to incorporate mindfulness into your day?  Let me know in the comments!

 

Mindful Musings

A Mental Health Journey through Mindfulness

 

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