New Year is always the best time to reinvent yourself and set new goals. Some people want to make more money, some want to put more effort into their relationships, and some try to lose weight. However, a very popular New Year’s Resolution is to change your outlook on life - be more at peace and be more mindful of everything.
Starting the new year happier than you were is always a great goal to have, and Youniversal Energy is here to help you with that. Here are some of the best ways to increase your mental health and be happier in the new year using yoga, mindfulness, and meditation.
Let the Good Vibes Flow
Practicing mindfulness is a powerful tool to get your head in the right space. Most people need to be more mindful; they’re not living in the present most of the time. Their mind is caught up in their latest worry, fear, the next work deadline, or the latest mortgage they have to pay. To combat the anxiety, mindfulness is the best medicine.
Mindfulness is about being more aware of yourself in the present moment - your thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It’s a great way to relieve stress and discard unwanted habits. Mindfulness is an attitude - a state of mind. To achieve that state of mind, you have to adopt these key attitudes:
● Open Mind: Become aware of all the judgment surrounding you, and observe your life as an impartial witness.
● Patience: Allow for patience to develop in you. Accept and allow for things to unfold in their own time.
● Trust: Trust yourself and your emotions. Understand that nobody is perfect, and it’s okay to make mistakes.
● Acceptance: Once you start accepting everything around you for what it is and not what you want it to be, you will find yourself reacting to situations more appropriately.
Mindfulness Tips for 2023:
Only some people can do something perfectly from the get-go. People take time to learn and adapt; the same goes for practicing mindfulness. That’s not to say that we can’t make the process smoother. Here are some tips to be more mindful in practice and daily life:
Meditate:
Take a few minutes every day to meditate. Focus on your breath, following its movement in your body. This will help you feel more connected throughout the day. Meditate while listening to calm music or join a sound bath community. A sound bath uses tuning forks, Tibetan bowls, wooden sticks, stones, water, etc., to create calm music that helps you recharge your energy.
A meditation session brings poise to your personality, calms your mind, and reduces anxiety. It makes you more conscious about the present. You feel more mindfulness in your daily life.
One at a Time:
Take things and focus on them one at a time. Studies show that multi-tasking causes your work to be 50% slower and 50% more errors. Always try and do one thing at a time, making sure to take breaks in between.
Slow Down:
No matter what the job, or the chore, slow yourself down. Take some time to think about it. Deliberate. Staying attentive to even mundane daily tasks increases your focus and mindfulness.
Eat Mindfully:
Try eating your food without uninterrupted. Enjoy eating your food without the TV, computer, or book in front of you. Taste what you’re eating, and savor it. It’s good for your body and your soul.
Screen Time is Check Time:
Keep your screen time at a minimum to avoid information overload. Set designated times for social media, and keep electronics out of reach during bedtime.
Keep Moving:
Whether walking, practicing yoga, or just stretching at your desk, become aware of your body’s sensations by moving.
Connect With Mother Nature:
When in confusion, turn to mother nature. Mother Nature takes away all the anxiety and alleviates your mood instantly. Take a walk through the park, the mountains, the woods, or the beach. Just go outside, sit under the sky and spend some time in the sun. Spending time outdoors is good for the body, the mind, and the soul.
Just Breathe:
Meditation is another fantastic way to get into the right headspace this year. It’s the perfect way to achieve your goals and also relax at the same time. It reduces stress, promotes productivity, increases focus, and improves relations.
The core of meditation revolves around 5 points: increase awareness of the present, subdue the negative mind, be mindful of the object, increase awareness, and commit. To get the most out of meditation, you have to be mindful. A great example is being mindful of your breathing. Pay attention to the sensation of your breath entering and leaving your body through your nostrils, causing your belly to rise or fall. Try to be aware of your breathing even if you’re not meditating. Being mindful of your breathing is a great way to meditate and increase mindfulness. Better mindfulness and meditation will, in turn, lead to better mental health.
As was with mindfulness, going for a walk while being aware of every step you take is another great way to meditate. It will also increase your focus and awareness and serve as a light exercise!
Another great way to improve your mental state - and your meditation conditions - is to enjoy the silence sometimes. Peace and silence are very helpful conditions for mindfulness. Always being bombarded by the sounds of traffic, co-workers, or phones, we need some time to embrace the quiet. When you do, you’ll learn that even silence is not completely silent- there’s always the slight sound of the wind, the rustling of leaves, or birdsong. Focusing and being aware of these sounds and the silence surrounding them is a great way to practice meditation and mindfulness.
New Year is always the best time to reinvent yourself and set new goals. Some people want to, some want to put more effort into their relationships, and some try to lose weight. However, a very popular New Year’s Resolution is to change your outlook on life - be more at peace and be more mindful of everything.