4 ways to be more mindful for everyday success

In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters. But slowing down and focusing on the present moment can be the key to success. Mindfulness, the practice of observing the present moment without judgment, can help you cultivate greater acceptance, joy, and resilience. By incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine through techniques like meditation and breathing exercises, you can enjoy a range of benefits, from reduced stress to improved immune function and overall health. Ready to get started?

Check out my top recommended mindfulness skills below and start practicing today!

1. 4-6: Breathing is essential for human life and is tied closely with our emotions. This first skill is a specific way of breathing that supports a more mindful life. Simply put you inhale as deeply as you can for 4 seconds then out as much as you are able in 6 seconds for at least a minute. What happens is you end up taking only six deep releasing and relaxing breaths a minute instead of many short and shallow ones. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you. Most people find they become more present at the moment and can proceed with their day with more ease. Just let your mind wander as you focus on the breath while your body settles into a more mindful and productive space.
2. Vergence: I first heard about this formally when being trained in Brainspotting, but I also mimic a number of exercises from certain ancient yoga practices. If you are interested in learning more about Brainspotting, I recommend Dr. Grand’s book Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change. Just like the previous skill, there are a lot of fancy things going on in your body. With skills like this, there are different systems in the body receiving the messages you are okay, things are calm, and you can do it. With vergence, you place your finger or some pointer-like object between 6-12 inches in front of your eyes. Then while looking at the tip of your finger or pointer you look through it to the spot directly past it. Do this for around a minute switching between the near and far point at least every 5 seconds and no longer than 10 seconds. Most people begin to feel calmer, their breathing slows down and they will have a sense that any distress melts away.
3. Music Break: Another useful mindfulness tool I want to share with you is taking a music break, and not just any music. There is a special type of music associated with therapy such as EMDR and Brainspotting called bilateral music or biolateral music. One of my favorite selections of this type of music is Bilateral Sounds: Sounds for Brainspotting, Meditation, & Performance Expansion, Vol. 1, it has lots of great nature sounds. There are a few things going on with listening to this type of music that supports mindfulness and your everyday success. First, you are taking time to reconnect with yourself and this is the essence of mindfulness. Second, this type of music has a gentle fade of the sound from left to right ear which promotes internal systems of the brain to build connections and regulate the body. This one is kind of simple: get a pair of headphones, a way to play music, kick back and listen to bilateral music. Let your mind wander and just observe your thoughts as they pass you by. Most people, myself included, find that when they put on the bilateral music they breathe a sigh of relief like their body just received the signal to relax. Often people will find that when listening to bilateral music and being mindful they will learn a lot about themself and their day is often a bit brighter.
4. Gratitude journaling: This one is a great starting skill for mindfulness as it’s a bit more directed, but will benefit your awareness and performance in everyday life. Take 5-10 minutes every day to list and/or write about everything you are grateful for. We all know what we are grateful for but sitting down, writing it out becomes so much more powerful. Gratitude journaling strengthens connections in your mind and there is a saying that the neurons that fire together, wire together. This is a quick way of saying that by daily reinforcing those parts of your brain which are centered around the positives in your life, connecting them daily to new areas of your mind as time goes on, you are building a powerful mind that can overcome many things. Many people start to feel like life is easier after they have been consistently gratitude journaling for some time.

I look forward to you getting some benefit from these 4 skills like many of the other people I have shared them with before. Setting aside some time to get in touch with yourself can be tricky these days, we have so many distractions in our lives, but the benefit of just a little time each day is outstanding.

Andrew