VIDEO: How To Be More Mindful (Part 3)
This video is the third in a series. Check out the Blinkist YouTube channel for more!
Over the last two weeks, we’ve shared a couple of crucial tips on incorporating mindfulness into your everyday life, without having to devote hours to time-consuming meditation practice. Whether you’re dealing with mental or physical distractions, mindfulness can help you reclaim your headspace, regain focus, reduce pain, and even sleep better.
Chances are, if you’re drawn to a video about mindfulness, you’re already finding it a struggle to stay in the moment. In the modern world, that’s a very common affliction — there’s simply so much to think about! Fretting about the future, dwelling on the past, or even plotting your weekend plans can distract you from enjoying life and being truly productive. One simple tip can help you sort that unnecessary mental clutter.
Meditation-free Mindfulness Tip: Focus on your breathing to stay in the now
Take a moment to stop and focus on the present by concentrating on your breath. While breathing is an involuntary bodily function, you can choose to control it when you need to and this ability to harness your breathing is the most powerful anti-stress technique you’ve got. Deep, focused breathing, even for just a few minutes, triggers your parasympathetic system which slows down your heart rate and helps you to relax.
The Mindful Athlete
- 12 min reading time
- audio version available
Anytime you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, angry, or in any way distracted, take a moment out of your day to focus on breathing deeply to help yourself get back to the moment. And you don’t have to be sitting in a quiet, dimly-lit room to do it. At the desk, on the bus, in the supermarket — wherever you are, you can focus on your breathing to bring you back to the present, make the most of your day, and truly enjoy your life.
This meditation-free mindfulness tip comes from George Mumford’s The Mindful Athlete. The Blinkist app allows you to get the key insights from bestselling non-fiction books in 15 minutes or fewer. With over 2,000 titles centred on self-optimization and personal growth, there’s no limit to what you can learn with the app. It also has an audio function so you can listen to key ideas from books when you’re on-the-go. Download the app now and learn any number of great new things, including how to take a deep breath and live in the now.
