Why & How Everyone Can Benefit from A Personal Celebration of World Mindfulness Day

Why & How Everyone Can Benefit from A Personal Celebration of World Mindfulness Day

No matter where you live, our world has a lot going on.  Stress and overwhelm were once occasional occurrences due to “big changes” in our lives are now perceived as every day, every moment, normal, and for some even perceived as necessary.  I often smile as I overhear people trying to out “stress” the other person.  Maybe you have heard it too?  One person says, “I am so busy with all these projects at work and my child’s activities.” Then the second responds with, “Yeah I have all that and my parents are now having health challenges.”  It becomes a game of who has more stress.

Today, September 12 is World Mindfulness Day.  A day set aside to remind the world how important it is to be present in the moment.  This day 9/12 a natural response to the acts of 9/11/01.  To honor and celebrate the importance of being fully with one another.

Why should you celebrate World Mindfulness Day?

• You matter taking just a few moments each day to remind yourself of the good you are in the world can re-inspire you.
• Focus in our 24/7 world who doesn’t need a little focus. 
• Decrease your stress
• Increase your gratitude for what you have in your life.
• Expand your creativity.
• Connect to your intuition, that still small voice in you.

How can you practice mindfulness, today?

I teach applied mindfulness, techniques that can be done off a yoga mat.  Here are 7 ways you can celebrate World Mindfulness Day.

1.  While driving around today or taking the form of transportation that works for you.  Breathe, look around.  Sit at the stop sign or stop light and be present with the stoplight fully as it changes to green.  Allow yourself to pause rather than keep going.
2. Be present fully when you use the restroom and wash your hands feel the water touch your fingers and be fully present with the water temperature, is it hot? Is it cold?  A moment of focus in what is often a mundane task can increase your ability to focus on the more important tasks.
3. Write a thank-you note or email.  Take a minute and look around to one person, place or thing you are grateful for in your life and send gratitude to that person, place or thing.
4. Earthing – when is the last time you actually walked in the park or touched nature.  It is scientifically proven that you help release mind-less-ness when you go in nature.  You don’t have to go far or be gone long. Go find a little grass or a tree in your town and connect to nature.
5. Mindful coloring – pick up my book Mindful Leadership the A to Z Guide for Stress Free Leadership and color in the mandala letter that matches your first name.  What does that word mean to you?
6. Educate yourself a little more on mindfulness.  Listen to my podcast www.EverydayMindfulnessShow.com the episodes for September 2019 feature the biggest names in mindful research.
7. Find 15 minutes each day to be just for you.  To read a book, enjoy a cup of coffee or tea.  Just be.  Less do. We are human beings, after all, not human doings.

Mindfulness is the biggest trend in both leading high-performance business culture and personal wellness.  If you are new to the concept of mindfulness and maybe even a little skeptical.  Take this day, World Mindfulness day and play with the possibility that anyone of the seven ideas here could make a positive difference in your work and home life and give it a try.

For more on mindful leadership, mindful sales and inspiration visit www.LeadershipSolutionsIntl.com and www.HollyDuckworth.com.