This month a fab guide to inspire you to bring mindfulness into your daily habits.

In the pursuit of joy and meaning it can help to find ways to take time and be more mindful. If we build these into our day or week and practice, they can become habits that contribute to living a healthy, happy and meaningful life. So here are some tips that may help you to build your habits.

The time it takes to form a new habit can vary wildly, and
there’s research to show, it can take on average, 2 months, or anywhere from 18
days to 254 days to create a habit.  I usually aim for 21 days to make a good start.

Develop one habit at
a time, choose one positive habit and keep it until it becomes natural so
that not a day goes by without it naturally arising.

Keep it simple, and be
discerning when choosing which habits to build into your day and week.

Make expectations
sustainable. If you are looking to fit something new into your day or week,
be realistic. Getting up at 5am every day to keep a habit, may be an unrealistic
expectation for you, if early rising is not your thing. Be willing to give
things a try though, listen to your body,allow it to rest and take breaks when necessary, without pushing yourself
over the edge.

Keep the practice of your new habit short and maintain it as a regular practice. Start
off keeping it easy, anything that’s too hard or taxing will make it difficult
to maintain. You can always increase the time, or intensity as you grow your
habit and into your practice. 

Choose activities that you enjoy, and that align with your values and what you’re
wanting in your life.  You are more
likely to create a good habit doing activities you enjoy be it – walking, meditation,
drawing, journaling – make it something that you can get completely engaged in
while you are doing it, and look to where you can carry that mindfulness into
other areas of your life.

To
help you get started, here’s some simple mindful habits you could choose from:

Practice gratitude:

Take note of what you are thankful for each day, count your
blessings, list 10 things you are grateful for. This can remind us that there
is joy in the simple small things. Try a gratitude app as a way to help you appreciate
the world around you.

Acknowledge your
feelings

Gently monitor and observe your thoughts, “hold” them
lightly, and accept what you feel at the moment. Without resisting, let
emotions pleasant and unpleasant just come and go.  It’s great to feel joy or happy feelings but
don’t try to force them, or try to resist emotional responses. Accept disappointment,
sadness, anger, jealousy, etc. as what they are and allow yourself to feel them,
be mindful of how you react to these feelings, but allow yourself to notice
them for what they are,

Simply Breathe

Simple breath practice that you can do anytime, anywhere.
Inhale for four counts. Hold for four counts. Exhale for four counts. Hold for
four counts. This helps to regulate the nervous system, which is always good
for stress and impulsive reactions.”

Eat mindfully:

Enjoy your eating and listen to your bodies internal signals
that guide your eating. Choose highly nutritious, real foods with a variety of
colour, texture and taste. Prepare your food, keep it fresh and easy, take time
to chew and appreciate each bite. Try to eat without the distractions of TV, phone
media, or other devices.

Meditate:

In meditating, you are taking the time to connect with your
mind. It does take some time to practice controlled breathing and to shut out
all of the distractions, but it can be beneficial in so many ways. Along with
it being a time for mindfulness, it can also be great for relaxation and stress
relief.

Get out in nature

Take a walk around your neighbourhood, parks, bush, beach,
trails, provide the perfect environment to connect with the present moment.

Cultivate your space

A clean organized space helps you see and think more
clearly. Reduce unnecessary clutter, in your home, desk, or mind, because physical
clutter can have a negative effect on your ability to focus. 

Get Creative

Doing something creative and mindfulness go hand in hand in,
what ever it may be –  music, art,
writing, handcrafts or visual arts, it provides opportunity to engage, focus
and be in present moment.

Pause

There is power in the pause. Taking a moment each day to
tune in with your thoughts and actions, can have powerful effects.

Smile

Take the time to smile at others. A simple smile is easy and
effective and the more you smile at other people the more positive energy comes
back to you. Smiling at others helps you release the feel good
neurotransmitters – dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin, and other people see
you as more attractive reliable relaxed and sincere. 

Let go

Be mindful that we are living in a culture that’s obsessed with
adding more, and know how powerful removing things can be. Think about letting
go of habits that are preventing you from reaching your goals such as obsessing
over what others think of you; wasting time on social media; being hard on
yourself, trying to live up to others expectations and move towards a life that
is rich and meaningful.