9 things to start doing every day to become more mindful and happier in 60 days
Embrace Mindfulness: Transform Your Life in 60 Days
Life offers so much more when we choose to truly live rather than just exist.
The key to this transformation is mindfulness, and through this experience we have the opportunity to change the way we think, act and feel. When you’re mindful, you’re not just going through the motions – you’re consciously experiencing each moment and actively creating your own happiness. Mindfulness is a journey, and it’s one that can bring profound joy and fulfilment. Today, I want to share with you my 9-step journey that you can start right now. In just 60 days, you can see a remarkable transformation in your life.
My formal journey into mindfulness began in Western Australia, where I had the privilege of training with a group of secular nuns who embodied wisdom, compassion, and humility on a scale I had never witnessed previously. Their teachings continue to influence my mindful practice, and life. I continue to share simple, everyday practices that have worked for me – and can work for you too.
Let’s dive into these daily practices that can help you embrace mindfulness and create a happier, more fulfilling life.
1 Kickstart Your Day with Gratitude
In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to get caught up in the daily grind and overlook the little joys that life brings. This is where gratitude makes a difference. Gratitude goes beyond simply saying “thank you.” It’s about truly recognizing and appreciating the good things in your life, often coming from external sources.
Starting your day with a gratitude practice can set a positive tone for everything that follows. Take a moment over your morning coffee to reflect on what you're thankful for, or jot down your thoughts in a journal. This simple habit can shift your mindset to a more positive outlook, boosting your mood and setting the stage for a mindful, happy day.
Remember, this isn’t about ignoring challenges or negative aspects. It’s about focusing on the positive and letting it empower you with strength and perspective. Make this a daily routine, and you'll soon notice a positive shift in your overall mood.
And it's not just anecdotal – numerous studies back up the benefits of gratitude for mental well-being. So why not give it a try and experience the difference for yourself?
Take in my Gratitude Meditation Here
1. Gratitude Cont…
Take a moment over your morning coffee to reflect on what you're thankful for, or jot down your thoughts in a journal. This simple habit can shift your mindset to a more positive outlook, boosting your mood and setting the stage for a mindful, happy day.
Remember, this isn’t about ignoring challenges or negative aspects. It’s about focusing on the positive and letting it empower you with strength and perspective. Make this a daily routine, and you'll soon notice a positive shift in your overall mood.
And it's not just anecdotal – numerous studies back up the benefits of gratitude for mental well-being. So why not give it a try and experience the difference for yourself? Remember, here’s the link to experience my Gratitude Meditation
2 Add Mindfulness Meditation to Your Day
Mindfulness meditation is a powerful and simple way to enhance your well-being. This practice, rooted in the Buddhist tradition, focuses on being present without judgment, allowing you to fully experience life as it happens. Incorporating mindfulness meditation into your routine can greatly reduce stress, improve focus, and bring a sense of peace and happiness. The best part? You don’t need to be a monk or attend a retreat to start. Just a few quiet minutes each day can make a big difference.
Begin with five minutes in the morning or evening. Find a quiet spot, sit comfortably, and focus on your breath. If your mind wanders, gently bring your attention back to your breath. Over time, this daily practice will help you become more mindful and aware in all aspects of your life, leading to deeper happiness and fulfilment. I've seen first hand how transformative this can be, so why not give it a try?
3 Where Is Your Personal ‘Happy Place’
Everyone needs a spot to unwind and feel at ease. For me, it's a cosy corner at home with a comfy chair, a good book or tune into a meditation, and a glass of fresh lemon and ginger water. Creating your own ‘happy place’ is a simple and effective step towards mindfulness and happiness. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It could be a quiet corner in your house, a spot in your garden, or even a peaceful park nearby. For those creating a happy place at home, I call them ‘alters’, I invite you to make your own alter. This brings you to a point of happiness with ‘purpose’.
Make it a daily ritual to spend time in your ‘happy place.’ Use this time to disconnect from the world's chaos and reconnect with yourself. Enjoy the silence, read a book, listen to calming music, or just sit and savor the moment. This daily retreat can significantly boost your mental well-being, helping you recharge and face the world with renewed energy and positivity. Your ‘happy place’ is uniquely yours and should reflect what brings you peace and happiness. Find your spot, make it yours, and see how it contributes to a more mindful and happy life.
4 Practice non-attachment
Non-attachment, a fundamental principle in Buddhism, can profoundly impact your life. Non-attachment means understanding that everything in life is transient and impermanent. It’s about letting go of the need to control things, people, or situations and accepting them as they are. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care about anything or anyone. It’s about loving freely without attaching your happiness to external things or people.
Start by practicing non-attachment in small ways daily. If you find yourself getting overly attached to an outcome or a person, remind yourself of the impermanence of all things. This practice can reduce stress and anxiety, leading to a more peaceful and happy life. Non-attachment isn’t about giving up on life; it’s about embracing it fully without letting it control you. As you adopt this practice daily, you’ll experience a profound sense of freedom and happiness that comes from within.
5 Become Aware of Uncomfortable Moments And Embrace Your Discomfort in order to grow
While it might seem counterintuitive, embracing discomfort is crucial for becoming more mindful and happier. Life isn’t always comfortable. We face challenges and go through tough times, often finding ourselves out of our comfort zones. Growth happens in moments of discomfort. Avoiding discomfort means avoiding growth. Embracing it helps us become more resilient and ultimately happier.
Start small. Try something that scares you a little—experiment with a new food, speak up in a meeting, or take a different route home. These small challenges expand your comfort zone and prepare your mind for bigger challenges. Discomfort signals growth and progress. Embrace it as a beautiful part of being human. By embracing discomfort, you can build resilience and learn to navigate life’s ups and downs with greater ease. This practice helps you grow, adapt, and ultimately find a deeper sense of happiness and fulfilment.
Both meditation and exercise boost the brain’s elasticity.
The Power of Mindfulness in Managing Stress
Research shows that mindfulness, a seemingly simple practice, can have measurable effects on stress. Mindfulness can buffer stress by making you aware of challenges and reducing those ruminative responses.
6 Practice Loving-Kindness
Loving-kindness, or "metta" in Buddhism, is about cultivating goodwill towards yourself and others. It involves treating everyone with kindness and respect, regardless of their actions. My first introduction to this beautiful compassionate meditation moved me so much, that I cried. My desire is for you to be moved too.
Begin with a simple meditation: wish happiness, health, safety, and ease of well-being for yourself, then extend these wishes to others. This practice benefits you and those around you, reducing stress and increasing happiness.
Take a few minutes to experience my meditation of Gentle Loving Kindness meditation that I have shared with hundreds, if not thousands of people over the years. You can access my Gentle Loving Kindness, a 10-minute guided meditation here
Try it daily for a few minutes. Start with yourself, then move to loved ones, neutral people, and even those who've hurt you. Loving kindness is a strength that brings peace and contentment from within.
7 Make Time for Play
In our busy lives, play is essential. It helps us relax, reduces stress, and brings joy. Play isn't just for kids; it’s vital for adults too. Find your form of play—whether it’s painting, dancing, hiking, or playing a game. Incorporate play into your daily routine to lift your spirits and increase happiness.
Play is a necessity for a mindful and happy life. Give yourself permission to play every day and see the positive impact.
8 Accept That You Won’t Always Be Happy
To truly be happier, accept that you won’t always be happy. Life has ups and downs, and that's part of being human.
Happiness comes from acknowledging and feeling all emotions, and understanding they are transient. Strive to be present in each moment, whether joyful or painful.
Accepting your full range of emotions leads to deeper contentment and peace. Happiness isn’t a constant state but a way of life; accepting this can bring true joy.
9 Cultivate Mindfulness in Everyday Activities
Mindfulness is about being fully present in the moment. While meditation is great, you can practice mindfulness in daily activities too. Engage fully in tasks like washing dishes, walking your dog, or working. Pay attention to your senses and the present moment. This approach transforms mundane tasks into moments of calm and focus, reducing stress and fostering peace and happiness. Mindfulness is about observing thoughts without getting swept away by them. Start incorporating it into your daily activities and transform your life.
Although my stress levels are generally low, I continue to benefit from mindful daily moments. Simply focusing on breath and areas of the body where sensations, emotions, and aches sit, is initially an easy task to broaden self-awareness. However, the mind does wander, this is normal, and do remember, we are well versed at thinking about the past or future – so expect the mind to wander back and forth when sitting in a quiet space. The thing to do is to become aware that the mind has wandered, simply return to focus on your breathing, and when wandering emerges again, repeat the focus on the breath. Give yourself permission and time to cultivate gaps of peace.
Mind wandering can boost creativity but also lead to repetitive, stressful thinking. Recognizing this tendency is crucial. By understanding how our minds work, we can begin to let go of the mental busyness that increases stress.
On the 10th of June, I am hosting a masterclass: How to Conquer the Mind!
Understanding how the mind works, and how to align the thinking brain with other brains within the body can help reduce stress and anxiety and propel you forward to supporting a natural awareness and management of the mind. When thinking from a different place deeper within, the mind and body become less reactive to situations. You’ll discover a far greater sense of self-awareness. Learn how to think without second guessing ever again. Learning and adapting to thinking differently will allow you to take back control of your life.
Book here or if you would prefer to have a 1-2-1 clarity call first, simply book a complimentary Personal Consultation. Your personal clarity call involves looking at what is getting in your way or what may be of concern to your life now. Join me on the path to moving beyond the challenges so you can get back out there and live life with ease and flow. A clarity call may be just the thing to help you decide if assistance is needed, and also together we will discover if what I offer, will work for you.
I invite you to book your personal 1:1 here
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I look forward to our first conversation.
Diane