10 Ways To Incorporate Mindfulness Into Your 2019

The beginning of a new year often brings about thoughts about what we could do differently in the year ahead to avoid negative patterns from the year before. Maybe you just want to incorporate a little bit more mindfulness in your life this year to reduce stress, and overall improve your quality of life. Here are ten ways you can incorporate mindfulness into your 2019.

1. Eat Well

Eating brain boosting fruits and vegetables is the perfect place to start incorporating mindfulness into your 2019. Also eating good fats which can be found in fish such as salmon, herring and sardines have been shown to reduce depression, the risk of dementia and improve memory and focus. These elements are all conducive to overall mental wellbeing and ergo, mindfulness.

2. Cultivate Creativity

You can incorporate mindfulness into your 2019 by taking time out to be creative. Creativity isn’t something you either have or don’t and spending your time in this beneficial manner has been shown to tackle all kinds of negative emotions and distresses. I have always found that spending my time creatively helps me indirectly realise how I truly feel about a matter within.

3. Take Time Out

and off the grid. People don’t need to be able to contact you 24:7. Put your phone in a draw, turn off your laptop and take some time out for yourself to read, walk, sleep, or whatever it is you like to do without letting anyone else’s frequencies getting in the way.

4. Spend Money On Experiences

Try not to worry too much about money, as hard as that may sound, for as a wise vandal wrote on the bathroom wall at my local, memories weren’t made on the nights you stayed in and had a good night’s sleep. Studies have shown that spending money on experiences correlates with a more positive outlook on the future and produces more endorphins than spending money on material possessions does.

5. Take Breaks

Don’t get bogged down by your piling up To-Do list and forget to live. You’re not going to produce anything of a high standard at uni, work, school or at home if you’re overworked and tired out of your mind. Mindfulness is about being balanced and content and this can’t be achieved if you’re stressed and overworked.

6. Spend Time Outdoors

Being outdoors more, whether it be getting out the city to go on a walk, or just sitting on a park bench with a friend, can have a monumental impact on your mental wellbeing. Exposure to sunlight, fresh air and being a living part of the world outside can do wonders for one’s mental health.

7. Say What You Mean

and mean what you say. Being more real with people, skip the small talk and speak about what you’re really passionate about. Say no when you don’t want something and yes when you really do want something. You’ll be more invested in these conversations, wheedle out the people you don’t want to waste your time on and maybe end up living out experiences you never dreamed of.

8. Keep Plants

There’s nothing more rewarding than putting love and time into a garden, but not having a garden isn’t an excuse. You can increase your zen and incorporate mindfulness into your 2019 simply by having a plant or two by your bedroom window on in your halls. Plants have been shown to have calming effects on the brain and they literally breathe life into a room.

9. Cultivate Close Friendships

Whether it’s tending to friendships you already have or putting time and effort into new ones, having close friendships is incredibly important when it comes to incorporating mindfulness in your life. Enjoy brunches, say yes to experiences you’d not always say yes to and be a mentor. Focusing on other peoples’ problems can help you forget about your own and ensure you have a support network when you may need it yourself.

10. Be Grateful

Ever seen that Ted Talk where that monk talks about happiness? It’s only one of the most watched Ted Talks on YouTube but whatevs. This guy really hits the nail on the head. He says that all you need to do to be happy is, well, you know, give thanks. Be grateful for what you have and don’t lament what you don’t and your outlook will rapidly change. I seriously recommend you follow the link in picture.