Mindfulness is one of the most popular buzzwords in the mental health dictionary right now. If you’re ready to make mindfulness a part of your life, you’ll be looking to get some significant benefits from the practice.
There are lots of great mindfulness practices you could choose from. Regardless of what you want to try, it’s important to hone your expectations regarding mindfulness so that you get the biggest gains from your new habit. Here are some great ways to see the fruits of your new practice sooner:
Define What Your Practice Will Look Like
It’s much easier to hit a target that is obvious and clearly defined. With that idea in mind, deciding what your mindfulness practice will look like is a great way to experience improvement faster.
Take a little time to determine all of the details that pertain to your mindfulness habit. What specific mindfulness exercise are you going to use for your mindfulness practice? When during your day will you practice? Where will you be when you complete your mindfulness exercise? Why are you choosing this specific time of day and location?
And, perhaps most importantly, what do you expect to gain from this mindfulness moment? Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll have a much clearer idea of what your mindfulness “target” looks like.
Focus on One Thing at a Time
While it can be extremely tempting to try a bunch of different
mindfulness techniques all at once, you’ll establish your routine more securely if you implement one small change at a time.
Pick one mindfulness technique to try to add to your life at a time. Give yourself at least a month to get used to your mindfulness practice before you try adding additional mindfulness techniques into it.
Attempting a large overhaul of your routines when it comes to mindfulness sounds exciting, but it may leave you feeling discouraged if you set your expectations too high and then do not meet them. By starting with small changes, you set yourself up for more success.
Don’t Beat Yourself Up if Your Implementation isn’t Perfect
Starting a new habit or new practice can be exciting in the beginning, but it can become less and less interesting after weeks and weeks. If you struggle to keep implementing your mindfulness practice, give yourself some grace.
Adding anything new to your life is bound to add a challenge to your day. Acknowledge with yourself that this new practice will take time and keep taking steps forward as often as you are able.
While you may need to reassess if you find that you are just never completing your mindfulness practice, it’s wise to give yourself a month or two to get into a consistent rhythm. By using these tips and being gentle with yourself, you’ll see promising results in no time.
