These days, we all live incredibly busy and stressful lives. It can be hard to cope with all the pressures and responsibilities that we find ourselves facing, and this often leads to emotional problems and mental health issues.
As a health and lifestyle coach in London, I advise my clients to practice mindfulness in their daily life to help them manage their stress in a more effective way.
Mindfulness – What Is It?
Mindfulness means staying present in the moment and focusing your thoughts on the here and now. It means not thinking about the future or the past but, rather, to observe everything that is taking place in the present moment.
The Benefits Of Practising Mindfulness
Practising mindfulness can help to reduce depression, chronic pain and anxiety while also reducing stress and improving sleep. It can even help you to achieve goals like losing weight or beginning new projects. Cultivating mindfulness allows you to lead a happier and more meaningful life. With this in mind, here are my top life coach tips to help you practice mindfulness on a daily basis.
Practice Gratitude
Focusing your attention on the positive things in your life right now will help you to remember all the good things and keep you firmly in the present rather than worrying about the past or stressing about your future. Focusing on positive things now helps you create a future that is more positive.
Use Your Senses
Bringing your attention back to the moment can be difficult, but it’s key to practising mindfulness. One way to achieve this is to use all five of your senses. Just stop for a minute and observe the things that are happening about you. What can you hear? What can you smell? What can you see? Give all of your attention to the here and now via your senses.
Focus On Breathing
You’re breathing all the time without being consciously aware of it, however if you can bring your attention to your breath you’ll help your mind to become more focused. Pay attention to whether you’re breathing is deep or shallow, then take 5 deep breaths, focusing all the time on your inhaling and exhaling. Repeat three times, then practise it several times each day.
Eat Mindfully
As a personal health coach in London I often tell my clients to eat mindfully since when we’re eating it’s the perfect opportunity to focus on the here and now. Usually, people pay very little attention to their food since they tend to be doing something else at the same time, whether that be working, reading, talking or watching TV.
When you eat mindfully, you can digest your food better and this will improve your digestive health overall. When you eat, put your phone down, switch the TV off and chew mindfully, noticing how you’re eating. Notice how the food tastes, how quickly you’re chewing, how the food looks. It’ll change the way you consume food forever!
