When you practice mindfulness as a way of life, you can also incorporate mindful meditation. Both have benefits that will change your life for the better. Here are 7 benefits that you receive from practicing mindfulness.
1. We all want to kick stress to the curb, but many people do not focus on doing it. Instead, they sit on the couch wishing life wasn’t so stressful, and if they could only win the big lotto, everything would be okay. The truth is, winning that lotto would only bring more stress. Instead, it is better to focus daily on making life as stress-free as possible.
The practice of mindful meditation helps to calm the brain. Imagine the brain as a power outlet with cords plugged in everywhere. The brain is being fed gloom and doom scenes during the day and becomes overwhelmed, causing the blood pressure and heart rate to get out of control. Mindful meditation removes all the unnecessary worry, leaving the person to focus on what they can control.
2. When we are mindful, we lower our blood pressure, but that is not the only health benefit. Many people suffer from chronic pain, and the act of being mindful of doing the meditations, can lower the amount of pain felt in the body. Mindfulness has been scientifically proven to lower fasting blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, as well as lowering their stress levels, improving the heart’s health.
3. Life is wonderful, but there can be times when it seems filled with one issue right after another. Being mindful helps people to bounce back faster when things seem to be going downhill fast. It works because it gives a person the ability to shift into neutral, just like their car. This gives the brain time to reset and develop a plan on how to tackle severe issues.
4. Buying an expensive watch might make you happy for a day or two, but it has been proven that possessions do not equal long term happiness. Happiness comes from inside you, and mindfulness is an intelligent way to master your emotions. There will be situations that cause emotional pain.
When you practice mindfulness on a daily basis, you are much happier, and this comes from positive chemicals that get released in the brain. It becomes easier to deal with emotional pain and move forward instead of letting life drag you down.
5. Have you ever tried to complete a complex task, only to find yourself scattered? Every year at tax time, people scramble to find receipts and tax forms to either complete their taxes or get them off to a tax preparer. When you are mindful, you can get into the flow of doing tasks. Being in flow means you are very relaxed but mentally alert to the task at hand.
6. The ability to focus without distraction takes practise. Being mindful makes getting into focus mode much easier. Mindful meditation helps you to control your breathing and center your thoughts. The concept is to bring yourself back to the point of focus with ease as you will have a tendency to wander from a specific task.
7. Being in a relationship comes with challenges. You need to be mindful of how you speak and react to the other person. When you are mindful, it becomes easier to read the subtle clues that loved ones give out as to how they feel at a particular moment. You can then pause and reflect on how you want to approach the situation. Being mindful helps to keep anger, resentment, and frustration out of the moment of discussion.