A lot of people ask me how they can implement mindfulness in their lifestyle……or even how to start. I personally feel that vacation is the perfect time to start practicing mindfulness – we are not in a hurry to get to work, to get to meetings, or meet deadlines, etc. It is the perfect time to learn how to live in the moment and enjoy whatever you are doing right in this moment. We are so used to being in a hurry and being stressed out, that probably most of us don’t really know how to live in the moment. But the good news is that just like with everything else, you can change this! Of course it takes some getting used to, and figuring out what is the best way for you to implement mindfulness in your lifestyle……but you have this option.

What does being mindful mean to you? What does it mean to implement mindfulness in your lifestyle? To me personally it means to be present right in this moment – not think about the past, not to worry about the future, but simply enjoy what is happening right now. When you are on vacation you have many opportunities to do this. Some of the my favorite and most effective ways in my opinion are:

• you can start with your waking up routine – don’t set up alarm clock to wake you up, simply take your time to wake up and don’t hurry to get up right away.
• enjoy  your breakfast – try to take your time with your breakfast. You are not in a hurry, so simply sit and experience every part of your breakfast – from choosing what to eat, to the conversation with your significant other; from actually eating your breakfast, to enjoying the view.
• take a sunrise or sunset walks – for me personally this few minutes at sunrise are absolutely stunning, and there is no better way to realize what it means to be in the moment then watching the sunrise. It is so breathtaking, that you basically forget about all your worries……you are simply able to focus on the right now!
• listen to the nature’s voice – whether you are in the mountains or on the beach, simply close your eyes and listen to the waves, or birds, or the wind blowing through the leaves……whatever it might be, just listen to it.

This are just some examples of how you can go about implementing mindfulness in your lifestyle. I think that the first step is simply realizing and experiencing what it means to be in the moment, and from there you can build your own little daily routine that you can build on once you are back to normal life. Whether that would be how you start your day, or what you do during the day to remind yourself to be mindful, or how you end your day, it is important to figure out “what is my way / what is best for me”.

Stay healthy

Anna

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