3446: 7 Ways to Make This Year More Mindful by Melani Schweder with No Sidebar on Intentional Living

[00:00:00] The newest Trash-TV-Gossip, the depths of True Crime, the next gaming universe. You never know where a new podcast is brought to you. And with Tinder it's very similar, because nothing goes about a new connection with a cool person. And in addition, you may find a nice hobby or new scene restaurants in your city. So, let's go. Say bye to your comfort zone. Tinder. It starts with a swipe.

[00:00:25] Before we start, please check out our new podcast, Good Sleep. Have you ever noticed how a calm mind can really set the stage for a good night's sleep? That's the idea behind our new podcast, Good Sleep. Greg, our host from Optimal Relationships Daily, is here to help ease you into a peaceful night's rest with some positive affirmations. And these affirmations aren't just comforting, they can help ease anxiety and nurture positive thoughts, setting you up for true good sleep.

[00:00:51] So, press play on Good Sleep tonight, because a good tomorrow starts with a good night's sleep. Just search for Good Sleep in your podcast app, and be sure to pick the one from Optimal Living Daily.

[00:01:03] This is Optimal Living Daily, 7 Ways to Make This Year More Mindful, by Melanie Schwader with Nosidebar.com, and I'm Justin Malek.

[00:01:13] Welcome to the podcast where I read to you, covering mental health and self-help topics like mindfulness, happiness, productivity, and minimalism.

[00:01:23] We'd get right to our post for today as we optimize your life.

[00:01:30] 7 Ways to Make This Year More Mindful, by Melanie Schwader with Nosidebar.com.

[00:01:37] A brand new year is upon us, and whether or not you've actually written down a list of resolutions,

[00:01:43] you're probably hoping that this year will be better than the one behind you.

[00:01:47] We all want to feel like we're moving forward in a good direction, growing instead of remaining stagnant,

[00:01:53] experiencing new things, and learning new skills that will make our lives more simple and more meaningful.

[00:01:59] Doesn't sound too hard, right?

[00:02:01] The only problem is that we humans are pretty good at getting into ruts,

[00:02:06] and not so good at overcoming the inertia created by them.

[00:02:10] Enter mindfulness.

[00:02:12] No matter your background, your physical health, or your spiritual beliefs,

[00:02:17] mindfulness can change your life for the better.

[00:02:20] And one of the best parts about it is that it will support and encourage all the other healthy changes you're trying to make.

[00:02:26] Pair anything with mindfulness, from a new nutrition plan to a new work project,

[00:02:31] and you'll see better results.

[00:02:34] But what exactly is mindfulness anyway?

[00:02:37] You've no doubt heard it mentioned a lot over the last few years,

[00:02:40] as it has enjoyed quite the social renaissance as of late.

[00:02:44] The dictionary defines mindfulness as

[00:02:46] the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something,

[00:02:50] or a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment

[00:02:55] while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations used as a therapeutic technique.

[00:03:04] Either way you look at it,

[00:03:06] to be mindful requires you to be here,

[00:03:09] to be grounded in your body,

[00:03:11] to be aware of your position in space,

[00:03:14] to observe the happenings around you,

[00:03:17] to be fully engaged with your senses,

[00:03:19] your words,

[00:03:20] your thoughts,

[00:03:21] and the people or things around you.

[00:03:25] Mindfulness as a practice has been shown to have many great benefits.

[00:03:29] Lowered stress hormones,

[00:03:30] greater resilience to stress or conflict,

[00:03:33] better sleep quality,

[00:03:34] more fulfilling relationships,

[00:03:36] improved cognitive functioning,

[00:03:38] deeper understanding of self,

[00:03:40] and lower rates of depression and anxiety.

[00:03:43] That sounds pretty nifty, right?

[00:03:45] Now I'm sure some of you hearing this already have a solid meditation routine,

[00:03:50] spiritual practice,

[00:03:51] or other habit that helps you be more present in the moment.

[00:03:54] Some of you may have tried these things and couldn't make them stick.

[00:03:58] I'm sure some of you are new at this whole thing.

[00:04:01] But no matter what your experience is,

[00:04:03] you'll be able to implement and benefit from at least a couple of things on this list.

[00:04:08] How to make this year more mindful.

[00:04:12] Want some small, actionable steps that you can use to be more present,

[00:04:16] aware, and grateful this year?

[00:04:19] Here are seven to get you started.

[00:04:21] Number one,

[00:04:23] make some kind of daily practice.

[00:04:26] And no, it doesn't have to be meditating or praying or saying affirmations.

[00:04:30] Think of your ritual as a little thing that acts as a touchstone for each day.

[00:04:35] Psychologists call this your anger habit.

[00:04:38] This is something that you practice at roughly the same time every day,

[00:04:42] and ideally doesn't take a huge investment of time, money, or energy.

[00:04:47] You can do something like mindfully make your bed,

[00:04:50] do three sun salutations,

[00:04:53] doodle a little something in your sketchbook,

[00:04:55] complete a round of breathing exercises,

[00:04:58] or whatever else strikes your fancy.

[00:05:01] Number two,

[00:05:02] put your phone away while socializing.

[00:05:05] I admit I struggle with this one.

[00:05:07] I think most of us do.

[00:05:09] But there's something that happens during that split second

[00:05:11] when you're out to coffee with a friend

[00:05:13] and you instinctively look at or pick up your phone when it buzzes.

[00:05:17] It creates a separation,

[00:05:19] and you can't get that moment back.

[00:05:21] Whoever you are with deserves your full presence,

[00:05:24] and you cannot be mindfully engaged with someone

[00:05:26] when your phone is sitting on the table.

[00:05:29] Number three,

[00:05:31] try monotasking.

[00:05:33] As more and more studies are coming out

[00:05:34] about the actual impossibilities of multitasking,

[00:05:38] there's a movement to reclaim the idea of monotasking,

[00:05:41] or focusing on one thing at a time.

[00:05:44] Your brain can actually concentrate better,

[00:05:46] you'll end up being more productive,

[00:05:48] and likely less stressed,

[00:05:50] when you single task.

[00:05:51] Try closing out those dozen browser tabs.

[00:05:55] Put your tablet away during breakfast,

[00:05:57] or turn off the radio,

[00:05:58] or put the phone down while washing dishes.

[00:06:01] Number four,

[00:06:03] join a mindful community.

[00:06:05] It's so much more fun to live a mindful life

[00:06:07] surrounded with people who strive to do the same thing.

[00:06:11] Look around your neighborhood,

[00:06:12] community,

[00:06:13] and city for meetup groups,

[00:06:15] spiritual organizations,

[00:06:16] meditation centers,

[00:06:18] and other places

[00:06:19] where you can go to meet like-minded people.

[00:06:22] One of the greatest benefits,

[00:06:23] in my opinion,

[00:06:24] of mindfulness

[00:06:25] is the ability to connect more authentically with others,

[00:06:28] so make the most of it.

[00:06:30] Number five,

[00:06:32] really experience your food.

[00:06:34] So many of us eat meals and snacks

[00:06:37] in a state of extreme distraction,

[00:06:39] and that prevents us from actually tasting it

[00:06:42] or registering when we're satisfied.

[00:06:44] Mindless eating has been linked with weight gain,

[00:06:47] favoring lower quality foods,

[00:06:49] and general poor health.

[00:06:51] Give mindful dining a try this year.

[00:06:53] Put away the distractions,

[00:06:55] utilize all five of your senses to enjoy your food,

[00:06:58] and pay attention to when your body says,

[00:07:01] I'm done.

[00:07:02] Number six,

[00:07:03] take regular mindful moments.

[00:07:05] I admit,

[00:07:07] I'm guilty of hyper-focusing

[00:07:08] and powering through a huge task

[00:07:10] without taking a break,

[00:07:11] and my body and mind

[00:07:13] always tell me it's not a good idea.

[00:07:15] Taking regular breathers

[00:07:17] can do wonders for your energy levels,

[00:07:19] concentration,

[00:07:20] memory,

[00:07:21] and preventing burnout.

[00:07:23] Set a reminder on your phone,

[00:07:25] watch,

[00:07:25] or computer

[00:07:26] to put your task aside for a few minutes.

[00:07:29] Use that time to stretch,

[00:07:30] do some deep breathing,

[00:07:33] refill your water glass,

[00:07:34] or do a body scan.

[00:07:36] And number seven,

[00:07:38] focus on gratitude.

[00:07:40] It sounds cheesy, I know,

[00:07:41] but it really does work to shift your mindset

[00:07:43] and help you be more aware of the events of the day.

[00:07:47] I found that the easiest way to focus on the joy

[00:07:49] and abundance around me

[00:07:50] is to keep a gratitude journal.

[00:07:53] Every night,

[00:07:53] I write down three things

[00:07:55] that I was grateful for that day

[00:07:56] or three good things that happened.

[00:07:59] There are many variations of this,

[00:08:00] so go with what feels right.

[00:08:02] And hey,

[00:08:04] your gratitude journal

[00:08:05] counts for number one too,

[00:08:07] making a daily practice.

[00:08:09] Mindfulness doesn't need to be something

[00:08:10] that is esoteric or difficult,

[00:08:13] and it certainly doesn't require

[00:08:14] sitting on a meditation cushion

[00:08:16] for an hour every day.

[00:08:17] There are lots of little changes

[00:08:19] that you can make

[00:08:20] to create a year of intention,

[00:08:22] presence,

[00:08:23] and meaning.

[00:08:28] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:08:30] Seven Ways to Make This Year More Mindful

[00:08:33] by Melanie Schwader with nosidebar.com.

[00:08:36] And I'll be right back with my commentary.

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[00:09:44] Überlass deine gesunde Ernährung

[00:09:46] und die Gains

[00:09:47] nicht nur deinem Bauchgefühl.

[00:09:48] Denn bei der Ernährung

[00:09:49] gaukelt uns unser innerer Schweinehund

[00:09:51] manchmal ganz schön was vor.

[00:09:53] Sag stattdessen

[00:09:54] Hallo zu deinem neuen Coach.

[00:09:56] Yasio.

[00:09:56] Yasio ist die meistgenutzte

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[00:09:59] Made in Germany.

[00:10:00] Egal ob Massephase

[00:10:02] oder ein bisschen abnehmen.

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[00:10:04] Proteine,

[00:10:05] Carbs,

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[00:10:06] Bewegung und Intervallfasten.

[00:10:08] Und mit den Tasty-Rezepten

[00:10:09] bist du ready für deine Ziele.

[00:10:11] Let's go.

[00:10:12] Lade die Yasio-App jetzt herunter.

[00:10:14] Thank you to Melanie.

[00:10:15] My brother and I

[00:10:16] also narrate from her site,

[00:10:18] which is abrighterwild.com.

[00:10:20] You can find my brother's podcast

[00:10:22] that's Optimal Health Daily.

[00:10:24] This one relates to something

[00:10:25] I mentioned from time to time.

[00:10:27] I went to a personal growth retreat

[00:10:28] where mindfulness

[00:10:29] was a huge focus.

[00:10:31] And something I learned there

[00:10:32] that I've been implementing ever since

[00:10:34] is this daily check-in practice.

[00:10:37] Super simple,

[00:10:38] but I think it's really powerful.

[00:10:40] Every morning,

[00:10:41] I just take a couple minutes

[00:10:42] to check in with different parts of myself,

[00:10:44] like my body,

[00:10:45] my emotions,

[00:10:46] my thoughts,

[00:10:48] and what the best version of myself

[00:10:50] would do that day.

[00:10:51] You know,

[00:10:52] before the retreat,

[00:10:53] I probably would have thought

[00:10:54] this kind of practice

[00:10:55] was a bit too woo-woo,

[00:10:56] as they like to say.

[00:10:57] But I'm finding it really does make a difference

[00:10:59] in how my day goes.

[00:11:01] And I think that's what Melanie

[00:11:03] is getting at here.

[00:11:04] Mindfulness doesn't have to be

[00:11:05] this big complicated thing

[00:11:07] with hours of meditation.

[00:11:08] It could be as simple

[00:11:10] as just being aware

[00:11:11] of what's going on with us

[00:11:12] in the moment.

[00:11:14] And gratitude was also a big part

[00:11:16] of the retreat I did.

[00:11:17] At the end of the day,

[00:11:19] we write down

[00:11:20] just three things

[00:11:21] we appreciate about ourselves

[00:11:22] and three things

[00:11:23] we're grateful for.

[00:11:24] I think both of those

[00:11:25] are important

[00:11:25] and can benefit us.

[00:11:27] So maybe pick

[00:11:28] one small thing

[00:11:29] from this list

[00:11:30] that sounds doable to you.

[00:11:31] It doesn't have to be

[00:11:32] anything huge.

[00:11:33] Even just putting your phone away

[00:11:34] during meals

[00:11:35] could be a good place to start.

[00:11:37] Let me know what works for you.

[00:11:38] You can always get in touch

[00:11:39] through oldpodcast.com

[00:11:41] or by replying

[00:11:41] to my weekly newsletter.

[00:11:43] The main thing

[00:11:44] is just taking that

[00:11:45] first tiny step.

[00:11:46] That's what this podcast

[00:11:47] is all about after all.

[00:11:49] I'm right there with you

[00:11:50] trying to be more mindful too.

[00:11:51] So hopefully we can

[00:11:52] figure it out together.

[00:11:54] With that,

[00:11:55] hope you have a great

[00:11:55] rest of your day.

[00:11:56] Thank you for listening

[00:11:57] and being here every day.

[00:11:59] And I'll see you tomorrow

[00:12:00] where your optimal life

[00:12:01] awaits.