Why practice Mindfulness?
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines mindfulness as the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.
The way I understand mindfulness is to be focused on the present moment. I strongly believe that practicing mindfulness improves my overall health by helping me manage my emotions, stress, anxiety, sleep, and much more. It’s important because it centers one to aim with purpose and enjoy the moment. For mindfulness to work, we must first be aware of what we're going through. After acknowledging our present state of mind, we can begin some techniques such as breathing, meditation, and walking. Some practices that I find very useful are being intentional, asking myself what do I need, and challenging myself. The critical thing is to retrain my mind so that I have complete control of my thoughts, feelings, and actions. You might be asking how do I practice mindfulness?
Being Intentional: Before picking up the phone in the morning, set your purpose and mission for the day. Be intentional with everything you do. If you set positivity first thing in the morning, it'll come a long way, instead of reading a negative text first thing in the morning and allowing that to determine your mood for the rest of the day.
Ask yourself, “what do I need?”: It's incredible to think of others and help everyone else, but have you ever thought of helping yourself. What are you in need of today? For example, do you need self-care, safety, attention, or love? You must understand what you need first because nobody can tell you or guess what you need. Then give yourself what you feel you need. Bring that balance back in your life and connect with mind, body, and soul.
Challenge yourself: To grow physically, emotionally, and mentally, we must train ourselves. The goal is to grow into a better version of self each day. Don't be afraid to push yourself and go after what you want.