A New Mindful Routine
Updated: Sep 4, 2019
When January comes around we cannot help but want to freshen, reform, change and improve our lives. It’s like the new month brings about a new energized chance for us to change things we don’t necessarily want to keep in our lives. While most resolutions will go incomplete it does not stop us from setting them initially with at least the mere thought of doing them.
Mindfulness is the new hot trend where we focus on intentionally on what we are doing and we give all our energy to doing it well. Doing so, helps us understand why we are doing it and if it is the right thing for us to be doing at all.
When we are mindful about our movements to go from task-to-task we create an energy that lets us enjoy what we have completed rather than all that we still have to do. We do one task really well and enjoy that satisfaction of our accomplishment, even if it is for a quick minute before moving to the next task. This acknowledgement that we succeeded in completing something and it looks great or makes us proud can help us secure the energy and momentum to move to the next task stronger and more confident we can do that too.
Conceptually, this approach would work in a multitude of areas in our life from dieting, exercising, personal care, housework and even finances. Start small, focus only on that one little part, build on your success. Pretty simple right?
While this seems like age old advice, mindfulness actually works slightly differently. The goal is still to do one thing very well but also to have whatever we are doing be something we actually like or grow into something likable.
For instance, when we eat mindfully, we focus on putting nutritious good food in our body and imaging how much our body loves these vegetables. We focus on the process of preparing that nutritious food and then eating it slowly to savor and fill our body with this being something we like and is good for us. Doing so, is supposed to help us slow down eating so we can lose weight and like eating more healthy. We become more attentive to what and when we eat versus mindlessly eating a whole bag of chips.
When we apply mindfulness to our routines this can help us identify patterns we need to improve on or change because we want to make them more healthy. So, if you’re someone who wants to exercise 5 days a week, you need to look at your patterns and routines mindfully to identify when is ideal for you to exercise, how you will do it and for how long. You will support your exercising with your full attention and acknowledge a success for having completed it each time until it becomes part of your new normal routine.
For mindfulness to work we have to first start by paying attention to what our bodies and minds are telling us. We need to intentionally focus on these messages to know where to start. I recommend using essential oils that support figuring out these messages.
Diffusing oils like Juniper Berry, Copaiba and Kumquat help us feel more in-tune to our minds and bodies. We can calm the noise around us and turn inward to sort through our needs and messages. We can also use these oils while incorporating the actual task in our routine or diet to help support our actions and activities.
How I’m Applying This Practice
This year I’m starting a journey to be more mindful in a lot of areas of my life. It seems for the past couple years I’ve been in major reaction and crisis mode and I hope it’s finally time I can return some focus to myself.
For me, diffusing Juniper Berry with Kumquat and putting a drop of Copaiba under my tongue each morning seems to help me start my day with a good open heart. I know what I want to accomplish and what is important for myself. I feel I can enter my day with confident motivation to focus on me at least part of my day. I am realistic and know this may not happen every day but I’m going to intentionally make it a priority as much as possible.
This is not always easy as I still have a heavy responsibility list as an employee, small business owner, wife and mother but I’m intentionally making time to do this every day. Maybe that means I’m stepping away from work to go walk or I’m intentionally not eating in front of my laptop. I’m very guilty of not taking enough breaks for myself and therefore my needs go unmet in order to meet deadlines, complete chores, and serve the needs of those around me.
We must find time to care for ourselves otherwise sooner or later we won’t be able to care for others. Again, sometimes that is not possible given the situation you may find yourself but as soon as you are able you need to find time for yourself in some way.
Interested in more?
I invite you to join me on this journey this year to be more self-aware and mindful. Go with me as we figure out how to act on the needs and messages we get from our mind and body.
If you have questions or want to share how you are approaching mindfulness in your life, please leave us a comment or send and email.
amyk@dragonspitapothecary.com
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