Mindfulness in everyday life can be a real game-changer. It can transform a “ho-hum” day into a life humming with joy and happiness. All you need to do is make it part of your routines and let the magic happen. Learn these 5 easy tips to do just that, today.
CONTENTS: In this article, you will learn 5 easy tips that will help you lead a more joyous, mindful everyday life, including:
- Find the Spark in Belongings
- Look for and Do “Flow” Activities
- Spend More Time in Nature
- Embrace Great Stories
- Create A Gratitude Journal
- Final Thoughts on Mindfulness in Everyday Life
No one likes the idea of having a dull life, where every day seems to blend together, and where each moment is dull and unfulfilling.
In fact, it’s probably fair to say that this is an absolute nightmare scenario for most people.
It’s the kind of thing that children are terrified of becoming when they get older (boring!), and that films, books, and songs all depict as an immense character crisis.
But what does it actually take to make life magical, exciting, and interesting?
Do you need to become a rockstar, or to take up extreme sports, like parachuting or parkour?
You could.
But that’s not necessary.
Here are just a few ideas you can try for bringing a bit more magic and appreciation for your daily life.
1. Find the Spark in Your Belongings
Here’s the thing: You need to start acting as if your belongings had a spark of life in them.
What does that even mean?
The Japanese cleaning guru Marie Kondo has a committed niche following of fans around the globe, thanks to her “Konmari Method” of tidying up.
She bases the technique around the idea of only holding onto belongings that cause you to feel a “spark of joy” when you hold them in your hands.
Interestingly, though, Marie’s tidying up philosophy is heavily influenced by her outlook on the native Japanese religion of Shinto – a religion that believes that spirits inhabit various features of the world.
In Marie Kondo’s case, she describes “saying goodbye and thank you” to an old cell phone before getting rid of it. She also tells of speaking to, and thanking her home every time she returns from work.
Whether you’ve just found a great resource to buy sneakers online, or are shopping for kitchen utensils, we all make consumer purchases from time to time.
And most likely, you have a variety of belongings that you’ve filled your home with.
Treating these belongings intentionally, with appreciation, as if they had a spark of life in them, can transform the entire landscape of your life.
Rather than your home being a place of dull inanimate objects, you’ll transform your space into something much richer and more magical by practicing this mindfulness in everyday life.
2. Go for “Flow”
Next, find activities that put you into a state of flow, and then spend more time on those activities.
The psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Is famous for coming up with the term “Flow State.” It describes those moments when we are so engaged and engrossed in an activity that our sense of self and time seem to fade away altogether.
These flow states seem to be a secret for achieving a great degree of life satisfaction. We associate them with all sorts of positive psychological outcomes, among other things.
What’s more, being in a state of flow just feels magical.
It’s quite the opposite of boredom and frustration.
So, look for activities that put you into a state of flow, and then make an intentional choice to spend more time on those activities.
A few ideas to consider are:
- Music
- Sports
- Technology
- Learning
- Hobbies
As a result, when you immerse yourself in these types of activities, it’s a safe bet that life will become much more up-lifting.
3. Spend More Time in Nature
Regularly spending time in nature is connected to all sorts of positive outcomes for both our physical and mental health.
It’s also a great way to regain the sense of awe and wonder that we so often become jaded and lose when we get caught up in our everyday concerns.
Stop to consider, do you spend virtually all of your time in a totally man-made environment?
This might mean you live in a large town or city, travel from your house to an office building, to the shops and back, while constantly connected to technology.
Well, you may already know—you’re in a slump.
This kind of living tends to slip you into a certain kind of mindset and approach to the world which can end up feeling very mechanical and structured.
Where’s the magic in that?
In nature, on the other hand, things are different.
The natural world flows, and everything relates to each other in powerful and harmonious ways we can’t fully understand.
But we can feel its effects on us.
Of course, big changes of scenery, like an faraway wildlife vacation or cabin in the woods are wonderful nature experiences.
But you can take little nature breaks, too.
They might include a:
- Walk in the woods
- Stroll in your backyard
- Visit to the local Audubon Society
- Short hike
- Lunch at a nearby pond or lake
If you start regularly spending plenty of time in nature, it’s hard not to feel as though the world has become a more magical place.
4. Read, Listen To, and Experience More Great Stories
Great stories, whether presented in the form of novels, self-help, audiobooks, or films, have the power to get us seeing the world from different angles.
They can tap into some of our deepest emotions and impulses, and take us to faraway places.
This is especially important when you can’t travel.
By filling your life with more great stories, you can end up opening your eyes to layers of magic and wonder that you may well have been missing before.
It may just be the few mindful moments you need to feel refreshed and inspired.
So try adding some time to enjoy these escapes to your daily routines. It can be life-changing.
5. Create a Gratitude Journal
Another easy tip to add mindfulness in everyday life is to start a gratitude journal.
This could be as simple as jotting down three things you’re grateful for in your planner each morning to start your day right. Or, you could set aside time for a longer before-bed journaling practice so you can reflect on the day’s events.
The important thing is to capture the little things you’re grateful for.
That might be appreciating a tall cold glass of water after a long walk, or the unexpected help you received during a difficult situation.
Capture it all, big and small.
Gratitude is a habit that seems to multiply your joy.
Not only does a gratitude journal build your awareness and create a more positive outlook on your life, but it comes in handy to look back on when you might be feeling low.
Then, you can flick back through the pages and you might notice that you have more to appreciate than you realized.
That alone is its own special bit of magic.
Final Thoughts on Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Now that you know 5 easy ways you can bring mindfulness into your everyday life, what’s stopping you? You’re just moments away from feeling the magic that life has to offer.
If you’d like to learn more about how to being mindful while you’re away from home, continue reading these 3 easy steps that will enhance your travel mindset.
Photo credits: Waterfall – Lars_Nissen (Pixabay); Home decor – Neonbrand, Plein air artist – Tetiana Shyshkina, Water lilies – Vito Natale, Book – Nong Vang , Journaling – Paico Oficial (Unsplash).