Mindful People

I follow a few different mindfulness based pages on social media and the above graphic was posted this past weekend. I love what it says about mindful people. As I read it I connected with some and reminded myself to do better with others. I wanted to take time this week to review these 15 Things mindful People Do Differently.

1. They Don't Believe Their Thoughts - And They Don't Take Them All That Seriously. 

Our thoughts can lie to us. We can engage in self-doubt. Our thoughts can come from what other people have said to us. One of the best pieces of advice I have read states that we need to watch the words we say to children as we wake them and send them to school and what words we say to them as we say good night and send them off to sleep. Our words will stick in brains. The words of others will stick in your brain. For better or worse. When we practice mindfulness we can learn to sort, clear, reject, or embrace thoughts. Mindfulness can help us identify helpful and unhelpful thoughts. 

2. They Don't Try To Avoid Or Deny Emotions.                                                                                

Avoiding emotions does not make them go away. Denying emotions does not make them less real. Emotions exist. All emotions are valid and acceptable. Mindfulness teaches us to stop, take a breath, acknowledge and accept the emotion, and then work through it. If you take a bill you do not want to pay and place it in a drawer it does not vanish and you no longer have to pay it. It is still real and you still have to address it. Do not put your emotions in a box and pretend they do not exist. Address them as they come.

3. They Understand That All Things Come And Go.                                                                                 

Mindfulness helps us accept the present moment as it is. It helps us see the past for what it was. It helps us understand that while we may plan for the future we cannot control it. Everything comes and goes. Today may be winter and cold. Tomorrow may be sunny and spring. Seasons come and go. Days come and go. Feelings come and go. The more we accept them as they come the better we will become at letting them go.

4. They Do One Things At A Time.         

 If you search old blog posts you will find one that talks about the idea of multitasking and how our brains do not have the compacity for this and rather engage in what is called switchtasking. The more mindfulness we practice the more we can see how our brains engage in one activity at a time and we embrace this. Allow yourself the space to accomplish one task at a time. 

5. They Turn Everyday Tasks Into Mindful Moments.

I have shared in the past how when Leila was too young to understand mindfulness and deep breathing I did it for her allowing her body the opportunity to respond. When the typical 1.5 year old meltdown would occur I would pick her up and take exaggerated deep breaths. In a matter of seconds her body would respond and she would follow my breathing and clam down. Now at the age of 4.5 we take deep breaths together. Bedtime is our nightly struggle. She doesn't like to stop playing to sleep. We made up a mindfulness song "Take a breath, close your eyes, breathe deep, go to sleep". And we sing it every night and take deep breaths. In my home we often talk about focusing on the task at hand, focusing on our own behaviors, focusing on the moment. It is easy to find ways to make a mindful moment happen.

6. They Practice Being Curious.                                                                  

It is fun to be curious. You learn new things. There is always a way to use mindful curiosity to increase understand, build relationships, and reduce conflict. This is often called, perspective taking. When introducing mindfulness to students I share that mindfulness helps us understand our own feelings better and once we can do this we can then understand the feelings of others. The more we practice perspective taking the more we understand others and their feelings and emotions. Be curious about how others feel. Try taking their perspective. This is a great mindfulness technique that will build empathy and understanding.

7. They Get Outdoors And Embrace The Beauty Of Nature.        

Have you ever just sat outside on a warm sunny day and listened to the sounds of nature? This is mindfulness. You are fully present in the moment and connecting with your surroundings. Mindfulness grounds us in the present moment. Being outside and embracing nature is an amazing way to be mindful. You can practice sound mindfulness, by listening. You can practice the mindfulness of smell as spring bring in fresh scents. You can practice the mindfulness of sight by looking at the colors and shapes of nature. You can enjoy the mindfulness of touch by grazing the silky petals of a flower in summer. You can even enjoy some mindful taste time by picking and eating fresh fruit.

8. They Enjoy Every Bite When They Eat.            

 There are times I forget to engage in mindful eating. We get excited or hungry and we eat. We don't have time to enjoy and we eat. Most of the time we just eat without thinking. If you take a look back you can find a post on mindful eating. When I did my first mindfulness training we practiced mindful eating. We looked at the color, shape, and size of a raisin. We then felt the texture in our hands and smelled its aroma. Next we placed in on our tongue without chewing. Again we engaged in learning its texture and initial taste. Then we chewed for a minute. Slowly chewing and experiencing the food and its flavor. Then we ingested and enjoyed. This is a good way to practicing slowing down and being in the moment.

9. They Slow Down When Reading And Truly Take The Information In            

Reading from a physical book or page helps retain information more than reading from a screen. You have the tactile experience of holding and turning pages. You can engage with the information. You are present with what you are reading. Slowing down when you are taking in information helps you understand and experience the information in a more concrete way. Speed reading gets it done quickly and then you've moved away from the moment. Mindful reading is an experience. Immerse yourself in the information, the book, the moment. Taking time when reading creates engagement with the material and cements you in the present moment.

10. They Are Fully Present When Listening Without Trying To Control Or Judge.             

Listening to hear, not to respond. This is key. Listening to hear another persons perspective, feelings, and thoughts. Giving their time and story the respect you desire for your own. It matters. I like to listen and reflect back what I heard. I often say to students "I'd like to reflect back my understanding of what I heard you say, please correct me if I have confused details." This lets them know you were fully in the moment, listening to hear and understand them. This shows them you care to connect and you aren't formulating a response or judgment. 

11. They Take Mini-Breaks Every Hour Or So When Working Or Studying.              

There are time we all experience what is called Flow. Flow was coined in the 1970's by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. This is when we fully immerse in an activity. Flow can have benefits when we need to accomplish something, it gives great feelings of accomplishment, and creates a connection to what we are doing. But there are times we need to break out of flow and be more present. My senior year in high school I had an amazing English teacher who taught in what he called "short bursts" and would give us small breaks to take care of tasks. Now my watch will remind me once an hour to get up and move if I have been sitting too long. Mindfulness can involve movement. Mindfulness is about being aware in the present moment. Be aware your body needs movement and breaks. Mindfulness will teach you to listen to your body and it's needs and help you attend to them.

12. They Laugh At Themselves.          

 Be light hearted. Enjoy life. Don't take yourself so seriously. See the humor. Have fun. This is being in the moment. Embracement comes from our brains jumping forward and assuming others will remember this moment with unkindness and remind us of our folly. Being present in the moment helps us recognize that "this too shall pass." Mindful practice helps us be present in the moment and not judge the moment. 

13.They Focus On What They're Doing   

This is mindfulness. Being in the present moment. Focusing on what you are doing in the present moment. Letting other distractions fall away and being present. Focus on the task at hand and not worrying about what is to come next.

14. They Challenge Existing Beliefs 

 We all have beliefs we hold close and don't want to let go. Being mindful means we listen to others to understand and learn. Allow yourself to be open and present enough to not be offended by a challenge to your beliefs. Take time to explore and be present in what might challenge a belief. Mindfulness is about accepting a present moment without judgement. Be open to a belief you hold being challenged. Accept it then challenge and either change or strengthen your belief.

15. They Nourish Their Bodies

What does it mean to nourish your body? The definition of nourish is, to provide the body with food or other substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition. Mindfulness helps us grow our minds and strengthen our prefrontal cortex. Mindfulness helps improve our mental and physical health. Mindfulness sets up our bodies for good condition. Mindfulness nourishes our minds and bodies. Mindfulness also helps us slow down and make wise choices on how we take care of our bodies and the other ways we nourish them.

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Mindfulness is a great way to strengthen our hearts, minds, and bodies. Mindfulness connects us to the present moment and those in that moment with us. 

I encourage you to take some extra time this week to build into the day more mindfulness. 

Strengthen. 

Be present. 

Enjoy!