Mindfulness

Mindfulness is probably the number 1 most important ingredient to mental health.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness, of course, is how full your mind is. Mind fullness. It is best if the fullness of your mind is as low as possible, or empty. Essentially, you want absolutely nothing going on upstairs. Lights are on, no one’s home.

Okay, that’s a terrible description of mindfulness. Mindfulness, as I understand it, is simply being present. Being in the moment – here and now. Experiencing this immediate point in time, without judgement. The “without judgment” aspect is very important. You’re not thinking about the past, the future, or even thinking about the present. You are just experiencing, being, doing.

Mindfulness is a practice, something you can get better at. One way to get better is meditation, but that’s not the only way to practice and improve on your mindfulness skills. There are many ways. Download an app like Headspace, Calm, or Whil and listen to what those folks have to say, they’re the experts.

As I said earlier, mindfulness is perhaps the most important ingredient to mental health because you cannot be healthy and you cannot be happy if your mind is constantly somewhere else. You can be extremely fit, have great physical health and Cadillac organs, but if your brain is constantly in another realm from the reality of the immediate moment, then that is not living healthfully.  

You need to be mindful. Your mental health, stress levels, and longevity depends on it. Start a mindfulness practice asap if you do not have one already. Here are a few simple methods to get you started:

Method One:

1. Sit down with good posture. Shut up. Do not move.
2. Breath in slowly through the nose for a count of 4.
3. Hold your breath for a count of 4.
4. Exhale slowly out the mouth for a count of 8.
5. Repeat ten, twenty, thirty or however many times you’d like.
6. Get up and make the day your bitch.

Method Two:

1. Get a pen and pad. Sit down with good posture. Shut up. Move as needed for this exercise.
2. Write down 5 things you can see.
3. Be patient.
4. Write down 4 things you can feel.
5. Be patient.
6. Write down 3 things you can hear.
7. Write down 2 things you can smell.
8. Write down 1 thing you can taste.
9. Do method one outlined above.
10. Get up and make the day your bitch.

Method Three:

1. Download a meditation app and do what they say.