These days, it seems like the pace of the world is always going at the speed of sound. It’s hard to find your bearings in a world that pushes you to do more, to be more, to buy more. Such living practices rob you of your peace, and you’re not the only one. Many people today have turned to mindfulness to learn how to relax and to improve their health. If you’re not familiar with mindfulness and what it can do to bring you peace and relaxation, here’s what you need to know.
1. What Is Mindfulness?
Before we can learn how to achieve peace through mindfulness, it’s important to understand what it is. According to the American Journal of Critical Care, when you pay attention non-judgmentally to what’s happening in the present moment, you’re practicing mindfulness. You pay attention to the experiences you’re having and to the sights and sounds around you as they unfold. You don’t label them good or bad. They simply are. You practice a sort of moment-by-moment awareness of life.
The practice of doing this allows you to develop new wisdom and control in your life. You begin to understand that by paying attention, you develop awareness. This gives you insight into your ability to relax and be in the present moment.
2. Getting Control of Our Thoughts
It has been said that it’s not what happens to us that makes a difference. Rather, it’s how we respond to what happens to us that makes a difference. In the case of mindfulness, we learn to observe our thoughts. The challenge isn’t so much our thoughts but what we think about them that matters.
For example, some experiences might make you angry. Through mindfulness, you can develop emotional intelligence. By doing so, you start to understand that you do not have to respond to your thoughts in the same way. You can gently push the thoughts away and learn to quiet the mind.
3. Practicing Mindfulness
Many people have learned mindfulness through the recent focus on mindfulness meditation. But it’s important to talk about what mindful meditation is and isn’t. Many people believe that your mind becomes empty when you practice mindfulness meditation.
This may be true after many years of practicing meditation. Initially, however, the person who practices mindfulness meditation learns to just observe his or her thoughts without judgment.
Over time, people who practice this meditation learn they are not their thoughts. They are the observer of their thoughts. They learn to relax and observe their thoughts without hanging on to them. By not hanging onto any particular thought, they learn to relax and to gain control of the workings of their minds.
4. Mindfulness in Daily Life
It is a misbelief that you can practice mindfulness only when you meditate. That isn’t the case. It’s possible to practice mindfulness as you go about your day. For example, when you are doing the dishes, pay attention to doing the dishes. If your mind wanders away from the task at hand, notice what caught your attention. It’s important to do this without judgment. Just observe.
Then, bring your mind back to the present. You can do this with any activity. It’s particularly helpful if you’re challenged with thoughts that make you feel stressed out.
5. Try CBD for Relaxation
If you’re new to meditation and mindfulness, you may find the practice to be challenging at first. If that is the case, you may find it helpful to get some external “helps” into the mix.
Products like CBD oil can help you quell feelings of anxiety as you learn to quiet your mind. It elevates your mood, making you better able to cope with what life throws at you while you’re getting better at mindfulness.
If you’re not sure how to find CBD, try looking up “recreational dispensary near me” in your favorite search engine. That should help you locate a dispensary in your local area. If it is close enough, you might opt to take a mindful walk there.
Final Words
Adopting a mindfulness practice can increase your self-awareness. It also provides you with wisdom about yourself and your life. This valuable practice teaches you to observe all aspects of your daily life and your thoughts that you don’t pay attention to. In time, you’ll find that peace comes more and more easily as you learn that you are not your thoughts.
