3 Simple Daily Mindful Habits
that will change your life!
When I looked up the definition of habit, this is what I found. A habit is: “a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up”. That sounds wonderful if it’s a habit that moves you towards your best life, but not so great if it’s not good for you.
The key to successfully incorporating good habits into your daily life is to do them, every single day. Once you’ve done something for 3-4 days, it will get easier and easier to continue. Keep at it for 2 weeks to a month, and you’ve created a solid foundation for the habit.
Something important! Don’t give up if you miss a day. Just start again exactly where you are. We often make the mistake of thinking we screwed up and then giving up. Don’t do that to yourself!
I want to share 3 simple daily mindful habits that I have incorporated into my day, every day, that have made a huge difference in my life. These habits work because they care for your mind, body, heart and soul. They are done with intention and they make you feel good. There’s nothing new here and I’ve shared them all before. You’ve heard many people, I’m sure, talk about them. But here’s the thing - they really work if you consistently practice them!
Daily Mindful Habit #1
Express Gratitude (Time: 1 minute +)
There are many, many ways to incorporate this habit into your day. Here’s what I do. Every morning when I wake up, before I get out of bed I say the words “Thank you”. That’s it - just thank you. Sometimes I get more specific, for example, I may say “Thank you for another day”. I know it sounds cliche, but it really helps to set you up for a good start to the day.
Other ways to incorporate a gratitude practice include:
Keep a gratitude journal and write down 3-5 things you are thankful for every day.
Write a note of thanks to someone who has helped you.
Go outside and enjoy the beauty of nature
Compliment someone
Include gratitude in your meditation or yoga practice
Daily Mindful Habit #2
Meditation/breath practice (Time: 1 minute +)
As with the gratitude practice, there are many ways to incorporate meditation and breath practices into your day and you don’t need a long time. By simply becoming aware of your breath you can change your physiological, mental and emotional wellbeing. It really is that easy and with practice you’ll do it without thinking about it.
Start by taking three deep breaths when you wake up in the morning. Make a point of regularly checking with yourself throughout the day. Breathwork in the evening before bed can be magical in helping you get to sleep.
Here are some great reasons to start a daily meditation/breath practice:
Increased resilience to stress
Better focus
Get to sleep faster
Clarity on your goals
Daily Mindful Habit #3
Mindful Movement (Time: 1 minute +)
Mindful movement can be a couple of simple stretches before you get out of bed in the morning or before you go to bed at night, it can be an exercise class, a slow mindful yoga practice, a run, a walk - any intentional movement. The key word here is intentional. Take the time to pause and notice how your body feels, your breath, your thoughts, and your surroundings as you move. Do this several times a day if you can, but at least once. Morning and night is ideal, if possible.
Bonus practice:
Journal writing (5 minutes +)
I can’t emphasize enough how powerful journaling can be, especially if you have dreams and goals you want to reach. Writing in my journal daily has become a vital part of my life and I find it brings together all the other practices. I love writing when I wake up in the morning and whenever I have time during the day. The ideas flow right after a yoga or meditation practice. If you don’t know what to write, there are thousands of journal prompts available online. Or open a book or magazine, point to a sentence, and use that as a starting point. The possibilities are endless.
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If you incorporate these mindful practices into your day, every single day, you will begin to notice a change in your emotional wellbeing. You will become more focused and feel more positive.
Here’s a challenge for you
When you wake up tomorrow, say “thank you”, connect with your breath, and stretch your body. Do all this before you even get out of bed. Throughout the day, intentionally notice your surroundings, check in with your body and breath, and be kind to yourself or someone else. In the evening before bed try some relaxing yoga poses, write down 3 things you are grateful for in your journal, and take three long, slow deep breaths.
Do these exercises every day for a week and see how you feel. Check in with your mind, body, heart and soul on a regular basis.
Create some new daily habits that become non-negotiable and see where they take you.
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I’d love to hear from you so please send any comments or questions to me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com. Feel free to share this email with anyone else who may be interested.
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Are you interested in learning more about life change & mindset coaching from a mind/body perspective? Please email me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com for more information or to schedule a free introductory consultation to see if coaching is right for you. You can also visit my website coaching page.
"I felt at complete ease with Sharon from our first conversation. She has a wonderful, gentle but firm way that made me focus on my thoughts / feelings so I could remove / change to move forward with a completely different feeling to what felt like obstacles. It was great having regular coaching that gently kept me accountable to actioning and moving towards my goals. Sharon has vast experience in so many areas, I felt that makes her an amazing coach.”
— Michelle Carney, East Galway, Ireland
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