reading time: 2 min
The older I get the faster time seems to fly by. Maybe because our days are more structured and we just work our way through them according to our plan. Or maybe because we spend so much time in the digital world rather than the world around us. Either way, we end up losing ourselves in the future or caught up in some virtual reality instead of enjoying the present moment.
Here are three easy-to-adapt habits to make the most of our time.
Here are three easy-to-adapt habits to make the most of our time.
1. Get out of your head
... and into your body! It's easier said than done. I often talk about "me time" on my blog, and what I mean by that is a time that you devote to connecting with yourself, feeling yourself, paying attention to where you are at, what you need at that very moment. Binge watching your favourite TV shows might satisfy a certain craving of yours, but it's not me time. At all. It's simply another way of getting out of touch with yourself and your environment.
Instead, do something that evolves your entire body – and not just your mind – such as exercising, crafting, painting, dancing, being in nature, cuddling, writing... I've already made a list of 25 electronic-free activities that might give you some inspiration.
2. Keep a gratitude journal
You probably heard this one a lot: a gratitude journal. This popular practice is said to have great benefits including better sleep, fewer symptoms of illness, and more happiness. The most common way to do this is to simply write down 3-10 things that you are thankful for, from basic things like "family" to more precise things like "the way I managed to handle our stressful meeting today". For an even more specific approach, I suggest answering these three questions each day:
1. What am I grateful for today?
2. What can I do to make today/tomorrow great?
3. An amazing thing that happened today...
A habit as
simple as spending 2 minutes each night (or morning) answering these questions will help you appreciate the time
you spend and spent. Keep
your gratitude journal by your night stand so you will see it before
going to sleep and remember to write down your answers for that
day.
3. Meditate
So I told you to get our or your head at the beginning. But isn't meditation something that only takes place in your head? Yes and no. While meditation doesn't usually involve any physical activity, its whole purpose is to let go of your thoughts (that automatically lead you into the future or past) and be absolutely present in the moment.
To make meditating easier, pay attention to your breathing. Find a quiet space and concentrate on the flow of your breath, in and out. When your mind begins to wander, gently bring it back to noticing your breathing.
Meditating for just 3-5 minutes each morning will have a noticeable effect on your mental health, including clarity, awareness, serenity and contentment.
If meditating just isn't your thing, try this simple exercise: three times a day, stop what you're doing for a second and just notice what you've been doing, and how you're feeling. What's happening in your mind while you do your daily work, or while eating? This might take some training, but eventually you will be more aware of what's happening around you – and inside you.
If meditating just isn't your thing, try this simple exercise: three times a day, stop what you're doing for a second and just notice what you've been doing, and how you're feeling. What's happening in your mind while you do your daily work, or while eating? This might take some training, but eventually you will be more aware of what's happening around you – and inside you.
That's it! Like I said, these methods are easy to incorporate into your daily routine – because otherwise they would be pretty useless. So I hope this blog post is helpful for those of you who – like me – want to enjoy every second of their lives! :)
♥
Maisy
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