"We can’t always control what life throws at us, but we can control the way we choose to react."

As we saw from the stress bucket, we can’t always control the level of stress we experience each day. However, for a lot of us, our thoughts alone can trigger the stress response; our own minds become the source of our stress. What’s even more worrying, is over time we get addicted to the rush of energy we experience from stress. We get so used to being in that state, it becomes our baseline. We aren't even aware we’re stressed; we think it's just how life is. We then begin seeking out any external sources or emotions that keep us in that heightened response (stress) and suddenly we need to feel angry, sad, resentment, self-loathing, etc. It validates our very being.

So what can we do about it?

Mounting scientific evidence strongly suggests that being more mindful allows us to be aware of our thoughts and gently builds inner strength and resilience to future stressors. 

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the conscious practice of observing your thoughts, actions and behaviours. 

By intentionally slowing down and observing yourself, you become more aware of your thoughts. You can take a step back from them and potentially prevent the stress response being initiated in the first place. You have a chance to use your conscious logical mind to come up with the best reaction and solution to the current situation.

Mindfulness practice

Being more mindful takes practice. Here are a few ways you can begin introducing mindfulness into your day to day life.

1. Journaling - writing down your thoughts, feelings and reactions each day is a great way to become more aware of any patterns and then take the necessary steps to make conscious change.

2. Meditation - sitting with yourself and observing your thoughts with no judgement or dwelling is powerful. Simply 10  minutes a day can make a profound difference.

3. Walking - no phone, no music. Allow yourself to be fully present. Focus on how your body feels, notice your surroundings and emerge yourself in the present moment.

4. Gratitude - cultivate optimism by expressing gratitude for what you have, no matter how small. Right now, write down 3 things you are grateful for. I bet you feel a little better already.

The key to becoming more mindful is to be consistent with the practices. Knowing is not enough; we need to do it and we need to do it consistently.

I promise over time you will feel like a new person. Not only will your stress reduce; you’ll be able to focus better and you’ll feel more compassion towards others.

Want some guidance with taking action? Ani will be running a FREE 5 day Mindfulness Challenge on Facebook in which she’ll walk you through different mindfulness practices each day. All you need to do is sent me an email to get signed up