Do you struggle with a daydreaming complex or scattered thoughts? Well maybe it’s time to introduce some self-care this season. This week I came across the topic of mindfulness. Of course I have heard this term before- but it was in relation to etiquette and not therapy.

            A few ‘discoveries’ that I stumbled onto was the various benefits of mindfulness. This is a stress relief method used by psychologists, teachers, and even employers. Mindfulness can be a wonderful avenue of self-help for people. You can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and even anger. While this might sound like typical pyscho babble to some, for others mindfulness has become a way of life. Being able to calm your mind and release any negativity is vital to your emotional, mental, spiritual, and even physical health. Imagine walking around all day in chaotic environments like work, school, community events, the bank, and having all of those stressful interactions with no outlet? Just bottling up your thoughts and emotions day in and day out. Human beings need quiet and personal spaces to properly express themselves. Mindfulness provides you with the ability to acknowledge your own perspective free of judgement and backlash from yourself or others. It is kind of like a mental diary where you just jot down all of your memories and experiences of your day and reflect on them. Being able to focus on your personal needs can in turn help other people. When you can have compassion for yourself that enables you to extend that positive energy to those around you.

            Throughout this week I have used mindfulness for a few minutes just to see if I got anything out of it. Surprisingly, having little private moments to myself greatly improved my week. So to share my week with you, here are 5 ways that mindfulness boosted my energy.

1. Decreasing fits of frustration

We all know that life can be stressful and it’s easy to snap at people sometimes. Peaceful meditation can help you center your thoughts to a positive place and improving your attitude.  

• Staying Focused

Having scattered thoughts is nothing new. Many people struggle with mental distractions every day. Practicing mindfulness trains your brain to clear out unnecessary information, allowing you to target vital ideas. This can increase your attention span which keeps your brain organized.

• Healthy Conflict Resolution

When you can self-reflect you often face some ugly feelings- many times that are directed at other people. Mindfulness can give you mental space to think through your emotions and process them properly. This way when you express them you do so in an appropriate context without causing any emotional damage to other people.

• No More Debbie Downer

Ever feel down in the dumps… but like all the time? Meditating alleviates negative energy through stress relief and quiet. If you are feeling a little blue just sit and focus on the positive aspects of your life while maturely addressing the negative. Achieving this balance allows you to appreciate yourself while at the same time making note of flaws without feeling bashed.  

• Pay It Forward

When you can exude positivity within oneself you feel encouraged to help others. Mindfulness can care for other people and be less self-involved. You can become in tune with the world around you and learn how to contribute.

Learning about mindfulness was a fun experience- especially hearing it from my fellow classmates. Everyone had great experiences or perspectives to share and I appreciated it. In return I shared my thoughts with them as well and we exchanged some amazing ideas. Also using mindfulness in my personal life this past week was wonderful and I feel more balanced, peaceful, and relaxed than I did a few days ago. So that’s all for now hope you guys had a great week and talk to you soon!