How to practice mindfulness and increase happiness

Being present in every moment is shown to be one of the keys to happiness and increasing overall wellbeing. When we learn to live in the moment, we keep ourselves from getting too stressed about the future or overly concerned about the past.

Sounds simple, right? Well, it is, but most people still don’t know how to practice mindfulness. By developing and cultivating a daily mindfulness practice, you can learn to become more grounded, increase your peace of mind and live a happier life as a result.

Read these four tips to help you get started.

1. Think positively

There are many benefits of positive thinking. You can’t control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond to it. Looking on the bright side of things is one of the best ways to take misfortune in stride when life throws you a curveball. When you’re faced with a difficult situation, try to think of positive things happening in your life and focus on those. The benefits of positive thinking don’t just include easing your mind and helping you feel calm. It also helps you build a more positive outlook on life and approach situations with optimism.

Humans are creatures of habit. That means the more you do something, the easier it becomes. That includes thinking positively. Your mind might automatically drift to worst-case scenarios when the going gets tough. Every time you refocus your attention on the positive side of a situation, you make it easier to think positively next time. Eventually it’ll become a habit and you won’t even need to think about it.

2. Practice being mindful

Many people have heard of it but don’t know how to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is all about training yourself to live in the present. Most of life’s stresses and anxieties don’t come from the stressors themselves — they come from how (and how often) we think about them.

Think about it: How many times have you been going about your routine when suddenly you remember something someone did to you years ago, and then it ruins a good chunk of your day? The thing itself wasn’t what spoiled your day. It was your memory of it.

Mindfulness trains your mind to allow those thoughts to pass through without judgement. Mindfulness meditation can help you avoid getting lost in negative thought patterns that have nasty effects on your mood and wellbeing.

You can practice mindfulness at any time of the day. Whenever you find yourself lost in thought, simply stop, focus on your breathing and bring yourself back to the present moment. The more you practice this the easier it will become. One of the easiest keys to happiness is right inside your own mind.

3. Make time for meditation

You can keep your mindfulness a step further with mindfulness meditation. With thousands of years of testimony behind it, meditation has been shown to be one of the most effective keys to long-term happiness. It’s also been linked to a variety of different positive health outcomes, including reduced stress, anxiety and depression.

The beauty of meditation is that it’s pretty simple to learn.

1. Pick a time during the day, maybe early in the morning before work or at the end of the day before dinner.
2. Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.
3. Sit comfortably and focus on your breathing.
4. Allow thoughts and feelings to come and go without latching onto them.

Despite the simplicity of the practice, one of the first things you’ll realize is how difficult it is to do consistently. Start by practicing a few minutes a day, then gradually bring yourself up to around 20-30 minutes.

4. Practice gratitude

Another great way to learn how to practice mindfulness is being grateful. Regularly reminding yourself of the things you’re grateful for is one of the best things you can do to learn to live in the present. You can get started by keeping a daily gratitude journal and jotting down a few things you’re grateful for every night before going to bed. These don’t always have to be something new. You might feel grateful for a close friend or a family member every day.

Many people think they need to think of things they have that make them grateful, but that doesn’t always need to be the case. You might be grateful for something you no longer have to live with, like a troubled relationship or a stressful job. This practice is another benefit of positive thinking as you end your day feeling encouraged and thankful for the good things in your life.

Ameritas is with you

At Ameritas, we care about helping you live a happy and fulfilling life. Bringing you valuable information you need to plan well and enjoy life is part of what we do.