Happiness Hack #15 Mindfulness
Focus On Your Happiness Today. Don’t Wait For Tomorrow.
“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it is called the present.” Alice Morse Earle
Research has shown that mindfulness can improve immune function, as well as reduce muscle tension, headache, and other forms of chronic pain. It has longer-term impacts such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Mindfulness has also been shown to help with stress, anxiety, and depression.
Mindfulness is about appreciating what is happening today rather than worrying about what might happen or agonizing over what happened in the past. It includes being curious and open to discovering new inspirations and information in the current setting.
You can be mindful by living in the present moment and appreciating what you have right now to be happy about. Take a few moments to observe your environment and notice things you haven’t seen before. Instead of focusing on “getting it done,” try to enjoy doing it. When you sit down to a meal, don’t just eat. Look at the colors, smell the aromas, think about all the tastes. If you are spending time with a friend or loved one, concentrate fully on them and what they are saying. Don’t think about what you have to do next or what you are going to say. Listen deeply to what they are communicating and appreciate the time you are spending with them.
“The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise man grows it under his feet.” Oppenheim