by Yolanda of Inspire and Wander

Lucille Ball once stated, “Love yourself first and everything else falls into place.”

She was talking about self-care and taking care of YOU.  

Our daily lives are becoming busier and the need for self-care has never been more important. Advertisements for self-care are everywhere, especially social media.

Got my nails done…self-care. √

Created a healthy meal…self-care.  √

Dominated hot yoga class…self-care.  √

Yes, those are all fine and dandy, but they are all temporary band-aids.  Don’t get me wrong, I love all these things too and they are great ways to feel good. But mindfulness is a daily, personal, soulful kind of self-care.

Mindfulness is defined as moment to moment, non-judgmental awareness.  In other words, you are fully aware of your thoughts, feelings, and actions.  Mindfulness is a practice that has been around for thousands of years.  It is commonly associated with Buddhism, but anyone can practice it.  It is very simple to do and has amazing benefits.

Mindfulness can:

• decrease stress
• increase empathy and understanding
• create a more positive outlook
• increase attention
• create better focus and memory
• improved immune system and overall health
• improve creativity

One would think that with this list of benefits, everyone would be practicing mindfulness every day. However, we let our schedules overwhelm and drain us. Fortunately, you are reading this blog post and one step closer to a healthier you.  With my tips, you can help yourself in 10 minutes a day.  

So what is this crazy thing I want you to do every day?  

Listen to yourself.  That’s it.  When was the last time you listened to yourself?  

Mindfulness is being present in the now.  What are you thinking about now?  Hopefully, just reading this post.  Not what you are going to make for dinner, not taking out the dog, and certainly not what else is going on around you.  Mindfulness is focusing, being in the now.  Do yourself a favor and reteach yourself to focus and introduce yourself to being completely aware of what is going on around you. Don’t judge it, don’t overthink it, just acknowledge it, move on…and focus on that one thing, the present.

I teach this process through a technique called Mindful Art Journaling.  You definitely do not need to be an artist do this, in fact, the less you know, the better.  I invite you to play like a child and listen to your intuition.  It is always fun and always beneficial. Promise.  I teach mindfulness through this journaling technique because quite frankly, we as humans think too much.  This creative art process allows us to step outside the “thinking” and learn the mindfulness technique much faster.  Plus, it is so much fun!  

If you would like a creative guide on how you can bring the benefits of mindfulness into your life, sign up below! 

A special thank you to Yolanda of Inspire and Wander for guest posting on Realm of Vibes. If you would like to contribute, please e-mail realmofvibesdg@gmail.com or fill out the form on the Contact page.

Namaste.