Many things have happened during the first quarter of this year – adjusting to a new schedule, recovering from sickness, dealing with family matters, readjusting to the demands of work, and transitioning into the real world once again. Moreover, we live in a distracted and confused world driven by technology, coupled with overwhelming responsibilities. So as a means to restart and recharge, one should make consistent efforts to apply positivity and mindfulness in everything that they do so they can continue to improve one’s physical, mental, and emotional health. 

Mindfulness is not only about finding a quiet space to meditate, it’s all about being present within the moment. In everything that you do, enjoy the process so you become more effective in your daily tasks whether it be cooking or working, or even being with other people. It is a matter of dedicating extra attention to the little things so you can fully appreciate your blessings, and embrace life with positivity. Realize your capabilities from within so you can experience that genuine happiness, passion, and drive to live and to give more to others.

You need to redefine your goals in life so you can have a strong motivation to pursue and persist with your tasks.

• To stay fit and healthy so you can live longer, enjoy life, and have enough energy while spending more quality time with your loved ones.
• To become fully aware of yourself, knowing what you really want to pursue so you can be of the best service to others.
• To maximize your potential so you can become better in your chosen field of work.

Give yourself some time to breathe, relax, and recharge this Holy Week so you can start to apply mindfulness in your daily lifestyle activities.

Mindful “Me time” and relaxation

Your “me time’ mindfulness practice always depends on one’s time, preference, personality, and strengths. Make it a habit to give yourself a few minutes devoted to yourself so you can let go of stress and worries. By trying to clear your mind with work and other issues, you can reset your day. 

• Breathing. Appreciate life by simply closing your eyes while breathing intentionally even for just a minute. You can increase the duration when you are ready to progress, and eventually try longer meditation practices depending on your preference. It can be a guided meditation or just focusing on your breath while you try to clear your mind.

• Journalling. I consider journaling as my most effective mindfulness practice because I get to write down my thoughts and emotions. I wake up early to reset my day, close my eyes, breathe, pray and then write down my goals and tasks for the day. In the evenings, I give gratitude and complete my journal. Express yourself by writing down your thoughts and emotions. You can simply start by creating your daily gratitude journal, listing down three positive things that happened to you for the day. This experience is empowering since you get to appreciate your day and look forward to future events, instead of ending your day with worries that might also affect your sleep and mental health.
• Massage. Pamper yourself by getting a mindful massage, and stay focused on your breath and body during the whole process. You can experience some pain or discomfort on some parts of the body, but just focus your attention on how you breathe and your body reacts during the massage, then just let go. This whole experience will definitely calm your mind and system.

Mindful eating

Manage your hunger and cravings while achieving the right amount of satisfaction and fullness by applying mindfulness to your eating. 

• Enjoy the overall eating experience by learning how to eat slowly (at least 15 minutes) while appreciating the aroma, color, taste, and texture of your food.
• You can also pay attention to your feelings and recognize your reasons for eating, aside from hunger such as stress, boredom, excitement, and other extreme positive and negative emotions.
• Learn how to stop eating after achieving a moderate amount of fullness. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest), aim for levels 6 to 8, so you can train your body not to overeat.
• To avoid mindless eating, eat in your dining area and really focus on your food. Avoid doing other activities like watching television, studying, writing, or checking your social media.
• You can write down your food intake and be more aware of the quality and quantity of your food so you can analyze your eating habits and effectively regulate your food intake.

Mindful movement

Experience fun and effective physical activities by being mindful of your movement.

•  Set that focus and strong energy vibe around you for added motivation by preparing your exercise environment (with the proper exercise area, temperature, and props) with or without your exercise buddies, wearing the most appropriate clothes and shoes for your activity, eliminating distractions in your surroundings and playing your favorite music.
• Be fully aware of how you move and how you feel while exercising whether you’re doing yoga, strength training, indoor cycling, dancing, running, or hiking. Observe your breathing, heartbeat, form, and posture. Make every count a quality movement by breathing as you execute the moves properly while engaging your core, knowing when to stabilize the torso while you move your arms and legs. When you squat, visualize your buttocks, thighs, and core and feel that you are effectively contracting the correct muscles while maintaining proper form.
• Enjoy the moment while moving to the beat of your favorite music. Feel your body heat while your heart is pumping and observe how you release the sweat while your muscles are working hard.
•   Focus on your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to movement. Where would you like to focus on for the next exercise session? Maybe you need to pay more attention to your push-ups and execute this particular movement properly by engaging your core more, bringing your shoulders away from your ears, and maintaining a proper body alignment by visualizing a straight line from your shoulder to your heel.
•  Listen to your body.  Know when to continue to push yourself and recognize when your body needs to take a rest.

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