A mindful life

Living a mindful life – this guiding idea has long since made the leap from esoteric studios into everyday life. But what does it actually mean to live a mindful life, why is it even healthy, and how do you put it into practice? Every trend needs its counter-trend. In the case of digitalization, this is mindfulness: yoga replaces continuous action, a book in the evening replaces “hanging out” on social media, companies hire “mindfulness officers” as an early warning system for burnout, and people no longer play Candy Crush on the subway but practice “conscious breathing” with the help of an app. Whether young or old, long-term hippie or top manager – the will to live a mindful life has permeated almost all spheres of society.

Mindful living

Mindful living describes the mindshift to a more conscious existence, contrary to the prevailing fast pace on autopilot brought by the age of acceleration in the form of social networks, multitasking and self-optimization. Mindful living stands for the focus on the HERE and NOW and for more me-time. A conscious perception and observation of one’s surroundings, one’s own body and one’s own feelings is intended to catapult the mind back into the present and thus bring greater appreciation back to individual moments in everyday life – whether walking, eating or working. This sometimes has positive effects on well-being: jittery people find it easier to find inner peace, stressed people are relieved of the feeling of constant pressure, and overwhelmed people are helped not to lose themselves completely. It increases concentration, reduces stress and provides emotional balance. Studies also prove that mindful living prevents high blood pressure, alleviates depression, relieves anxiety, and reduces gastrointestinal distress. Sounds great, doesn’t it? But how do you put this into practice? For a mindful life, too, practice makes perfect! Suddenly reducing the pace of life from 100 to 0, hastily booking a yoga trip to India or putting several hours of meditation on your schedule every day – this is not effective in the long term. Because first and foremost, mindful living involves giving yourself time and practicing patience – after all, the point is to ABATE stress, not build it up.

As inspiration, we reveal our favorite practices for a mindful life, which can be easily and gradually integrated into everyday life and with which you can – depending on your wishes and feelings – increase bit by bit.

Our 5 favorite practices for mindful living:

1. Digital Detox Whether at work or in private life – constant accessibility triggers stress for many people or, in the worst case, can even become addictive. In addition, through increasingly excessive use of our cell phones, we often deprive ourselves of the magic of many beautiful moments that take place outside our smartphones. Digital detox refers to the conscious decision to go offline and put the smartphone and laptop aside or switch off for a certain period of time. Whether that’s for an hour, for a day, or for a week – it’s up to you. Paradoxically, there is an app that can optimally support you in your Digital Detox. Check out: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.urbandroid.ddc&hl=de
2. Conscious eating We become careless when a certain behavior has become automated – namely, when we do it regularly and no longer have to think about it. Food is one of them. As a result, we often gulp down our meals quite carelessly. This is neither good for the slim line, nor is it healthy! High time to change that! So at your next meal: turn off the TV, put down your cell phone, pause, consciously chew and notice the taste.
3. Meditation How long can you sustain sitting quietly, turning off your thoughts and focusing fully on your breathing? Anyone who has tried it knows how terribly difficult meditation can be. Mediation, however, is not about staying in the lotus position for hours until it is no longer bearable due to pain, but about finding a framework, turning one’s attention inward and staying only with oneself for a few moments. Whether this is possible for a few seconds or whole days – it’s a matter of practice! Every single second is noticeable! Here, too, an app can provide you with optimal support and guidance: https://www.calm.com/
4. Gratitude Whether it’s our health, our friends, or the fact of having a roof over our heads – we often take these things far too much for granted. Yet they could be gone at any moment! Gratefully perceiving and accepting these things as gifts gives each individual moment new vitality and allows us to appreciate them more. Try it out and write 5 things in a notebook each day that you are grateful for that day.
5. Reflecting on the day It was just Monday, and now it’s Friday again – do you sometimes feel that time is slipping away like sand in your hand? This is because we are usually not consciously aware of all that we do and create in a day. A mental, or better yet written, reflection of the day in the evening before going to bed can help! Every day, write yourself a list of all the things you accomplished that day. So you have your life back in your hands

SOURCES:

https://kurier.at/wissen/achtsamkeit-der-neue-lifestyle-trend-der-burn-outgeneration/183.573.602
Mayer, Heike (2015). Living mindfully: The small 1 x 1 for a life in the here and now
Williams, Mark (2015). The Mindfulness Training: 20 minutes a day that will change your life
Bays, Jan Chozen (2012). Mindful through the day – 53 feather-light exercises to train mindfulness