It does, however, take practice. People who give mindfulness a few tries, give it up, and then say it had no effect on them are part of the reason it is still a growing trend. You must be persistent if you want to gain from practicing mindfulness. Our list of 21 beginner-friendly ideas for practicing mindfulness will make it easier for you to persist with it and experience its positive effects on your general wellbeing, whether you are just starting off or returning to it after a lengthy hiatus.
Find A Quiet Place To Concentrate
First and foremost, practicing mindfulness is all about focus, which at first might be challenging in a busy or congested environment. In order to retain your focus on your breathing, your thoughts, and the present moment, choose a time and location for your mindfulness practice that is quiet and won’t result in disruptions. With practice, you’ll be able to use mindfulness at work, on the road, and during other times of the day.
Practice In A Comfortable Position
Some people find it most comfortable to sit in a chair while they meditate. Others take a kneeling, lotus, or lying position. You decide how to position yourself, but it’s crucial that you stay in a position that makes you feel at ease for the duration of the activity in order to avoid becoming unduly sidetracked.
Always Return To Your Breathing
Your mind will wander when engaging in mindfulness practice, thinking about the past and the future. Fortunately, this practice is designed to help you focus on the here and now rather than trying to quiet your mind. To accomplish this, simply bring your focus back to your breathing, which serves as our anchor for the present now.
Set A Time Limit
It can be beneficial to increase gradually while setting a time limit if you’re a newbie. For a short while, start your mindfulness practice with 5-minute intervals, and then as you get more accustomed to the practice, gradually extend it. Overextending yourself might make you less motivated to stick with this long-term.
Create A Schedule
Making a schedule is beneficial in addition to these time constraints. To experience the advantages, everyday mindfulness practice is essential. Maintaining a timetable or routine forces you to prioritize these workouts in your daily life and will assist you avoid taking a long break from them.
Make Mindfulness Practice Part of Your Morning Routine
Right at the beginning of the day is a perfect opportunity to practice mindfulness meditation practices. Simply close your eyes in bed for two to three minutes while observing how your body feels. This is a terrific way to relax and sharpen your attention for the next day. Additionally beneficial at night, mindfulness training has been shown to occasionally increase sleep quality by 33%.
Make a Note of When Your Mind Wanders
Because our attention spans are limited, the mind will inevitably wander when you are practicing mindfulness. To avoid this, simply identify the distraction, accept it, and then go back to your breathing when it happens. Take your time return to the present; don’t feel pressed to do so.
Don’t Punish Yourself for Losing Focus
Your thoughts will stray, as was mentioned, and you shouldn’t feel awful about it. Every day, we have tens of thousands of thoughts! It can be easy to give up on this if you become preoccupied with your thoughts or criticize yourself for failing at your mindfulness exercises. Instead, accept that you are simply human and don’t criticize yourself for allowing your thoughts to wander.
Download Apps to Help You Concentrate
There are many applications available to promote effective meditation and focus if you are finding it difficult to begin practicing mindfulness on your own. These might provide a way to maintain mental stimulation throughout your workouts.
Take An Introductory Course
A basic course, like our free online mindfulness course, will help you comprehend these tactics and enable you to reap the benefits if you’d want to learn more about the ways to practice mindfulness or why this approach is successful.
