How to Grow a Mindfulness Practice

How are we already at the end of 2021?

 

It seems like this year, like last year, was a bit of a blur. 

 

And I don’t want 2022 to be another blur – to fly by without fully appreciating each day.

 

So, how can we incorporate more mindfulness into our daily lives and appreciate everything that each day brings to us?

 

By gratitude journaling.

 

And quiet observation.

 

These are two things that have been helping me with my own mindfulness practice lately, and I fully plan to strengthen these practices even more in the new year.

 

I take time every morning to write down three things that I am grateful for, and I focus on being as specific as possible with what I write down. It seems simple, and people talk about gratitude journaling all the time. But it’s powerful the kind of mindset shifts that occur when you take the time to write down three very specific things that you’re grateful for each morning.

 

You could do this practice at night, instead, or both in the morning and at night. The point is to write it down, focus on the good that happened. Pretty soon, you’ll start seeing mainly the good things, you’ll pay more attention to the good that happens throughout your day, and you’ll find that your stressors don’t bother you as much.

 

Quiet observation is something that I’m slowly getting better at. I’m trying to be more aware of the time spent on my phone. One of the facts that Dr. Troy shared with us at OolaPalooza at the beginning of this month was that, on average, we look at our phones 2,617 times in One. Single. Day. That’s a lot of time that we aren’t being mindful, that we aren’t observing what’s going on around us and inside of us.

 

So, I’m making it a point to put my phone away for extended periods of time. I’m observing and watching my kiddos and just soaking up all the joy of watching their little imaginative games. I’m observing my own emotions, taking stock of my feelings, and trying to process them better, rather than shoving them down.

 

These two practices have a huge, positive impact on being mindful. And I’m excited to learn how these two steps, and others, will grow my mindfulness practice even more in the new year.

 

What will you be doing in the new year to be more mindful? I’d love to hear from you – in the comments or through a message. Share your knowledge, and help us all become more mindful in 2022.