Mindful exercises can have a positive effect on your mind, body, and spirit if you are consistent with your practice and application. Finding the best technique to fit your needs might seem overwhelming in the beginning –but I want you to know you can do it!
The benefits of mindfulness are plentiful, including improved focus, concentration, reduce stress, and inner peace.
One approach to boosting your mindfulness techniques is to incorporate them into the start of your day. The morning hours are a great way to help you build consistency, and there are multiple things you can do without even leaving your bed!
Here are four mindful things that you can do to start your day.
1. Breathing
You should not underestimate the power of practicing mindful breathing. Slow, deep, and deliberate breathing helps calm your mind, enhances focus, and improvs your productivity throughout the day.
How Does Mindful Breathing Work?
With mindful breathing exercises, we are taking slow and deep breaths which in turn helps to stimulate our vagus nerve. When we slow our breathing to be purposeful as is seen with mindful breathing in which you are taking these slow, deep breaths (five to seven minutes), we, in turn, trigger our heart rate to decrease which leads to a wealth of physical responses throughout the body.
You want to sit in a position that is upright, and your feet are resting flat against the floor. Next, taking a deep breath through your nose, hold it for a five-second count, then just as slowly, release that breath through your mouth while counting to five. Repeat this breathing exercise for five to ten minutes, being purposeful with focus.
You can do this lying in your bed first thing in the morning or at night just before you fall asleep.
2. Mindful Writing
One of the most mindful things you could do each day is journaling. Writing down your thoughts and ideas in a journal is an excellent way to identify, explore, and examine your innermost thoughts.
This process can draw you into the here and now driving you to acknowledge your feelings and develop an awareness for what it is you need to be happy.
3. Visualize Daily Goals
Upon opening your eyes in the morning, try to visualize your daily goals. Visualization of your daily goals can prove extremely beneficial for helping to get the wheels turning in your mind to improve cognition and memory. It is also ideal to bring focus to what you will accomplish for the day. This action will also give you the necessary focus you need to be successful with anything you tackle in your day.
4. Inspirational Reading
First thing in the morning, do a bit of inspirational reading to jump-start your day. Use the language of the material to momentarily challenge your thoughts, beliefs, and ideas about your values, lifestyle choices and other components of your life. Also, allow this content to boost your spirits and to draw you into and inspire your day.
These are just four ways to start your day mindfully. Remember that you don’t have to practice all of these techniques to be mindful. Choose the one that best fits your style to start. Also, do not be afraid to create your own mindful activities that will boost your self-awareness, positivity, and overall health status.
