Slowing down can be challenging when we are moving full-speed ahead five days a week. We’re constantly bombarded with emails, phone calls, text messages and meetings – the list goes on. Consciously taking a moment to center with something like breathing can help. Being present once centered has many benefits. Practicing mindfulness or being present at work can help us make the workday a little easier to manage. Thinking about the task at hand with a clear mind verses letting problems stack up is wise. That’s exactly why God tells us not to worry about tomorrow, today has enough troubles if it’s own. (See Matthew 6:34).

Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and surrounding environment. It is a shift in the way we pay attention. We move from autopilot to engaged.  Living in and appreciating the present moment.  Knowing that God has every tomorrow. He wants us to be mindful and focused on today, trusting Him for the future.

I believe that bringing your faith into practice with your mindfulness makes perfect sense. God asks us to come to Him when we are weary in Matthew 11:28 NLT.  He wants us to slow down and re-center our minds. When we do, we can include Him in each moment. Basically, praying in every moment as I Thessalonians 5:17 NLT says, “Never stop praying.”

Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them. We simply pay attention to how we are feeling now.  We don’t investigate the past or play the “what if” game looking into the future.  We also know God can redeem anything in our past and use it as part of our story.  Our future is secure in His hands.

Incorporating mindfulness into your lifestyle is one way to stay present. Mindfulness can help you feel appreciation for the little things that go unnoticed daily. Maybe it’s the sky God paints in each unique sunrise or sunset.   When we stop and pause, giving Him glory and praise for these kinds of wonders, we can go back to work with a sense of joy again. When the small moments of the day are relished, every day marks a fresh beginning.  And we focus on today, so that we don’t miss anything it has to offer.

THE BENEFITS OF PRACTICING MINDFULNESS

Studies have shown practicing mindfulness, even after a short amount of time, can usher in a variety of physical, psychological and social benefits. Here are some of these potential benefits of mindfulness:

•         Boosts our immune system’s ability to fight off illness

•         Relieves symptoms of depression and anxiety

•         Increases the density of gray matter in our brain regions linked to learning, memory,

emotional regulation and empathy

•         Enhances focus

•         Helps foster compassion

•         Enhances relationships

•         Reduces pregnancy-related anxiety, stress and depression in expectant parents

•         Lowers blood pressure

•         Helps with weight loss

•         Improves memory

•         Enhances quality of sleep

•         Raises tolerance to pain

•         Helps us gain focus and insight in all areas of life

•         Helps prevent the normal cognitive decline that comes with aging

Simple take-aways to increase your mindfulness

Just  Breathe – Observe the rhythm of your breath with your eyes shut and feet flat on the floor.  Don’t try to change it, just feel how the air comes in through your nose,  and fills your lungs and then exits the body again through your nose. Adjust your posture to take in a nice full breath, letting your rib-cage or abdomen expand all the way down to your belly.  By placing your hands on your lower belly or rib-cage you an feel the rise and fall and pull that air even deeper into your lungs. After you have observed your breath, focus on how your breath feels as you breath in and out for 5 minutes. Not changing it, just observing it. When your mind wants to wander, acknowledge the thought and send it away.  Refocus on your breath.

Take 10  - Meditate on God’s Word for 10 minutes.  Read your favorite verse and talk with God about this verse.  Do you need His wisdom?  Take time to listen for His feedback and voice. Perhaps you need to lay a burden down that is crushing you first and let Him restore your soul.  He’s got you covered no matter the time meditating on Him is about. He’s got over 3,000 promises in His Word.  Think of this meditation time as a healthy snack for the soul! Ahhh…

Unplug for 5 and just be – Sit or lay in silence, no phone, no screen and just be.  Become comfortable in the silence. This is the time when God’s voice can be heard.  If you  never hear His voice, then it ‘s a clear reminder to slow down and just be in His presence for 5 minutes a day.  No demands, just being still and abiding in Him. Like any friend, just being in someone’s presence without the pressure of knowing what to say or filling it with “do”. It is a powerful thing to share silence.

No “What Ifs” – Take control of your thoughts.  Stop chasing squirrels or elusive shadows in your mind. Focus on the now, the present. Let God handle the past, He can redeem anything and use it for His good.  Avoid speculation of the future, He already knows and He has a plan for you.  (Jeremiah 29:11)

Attitude of Gratitude – Make a conscious effort to thank God for 3 things in your life each day. This forces you to get away from your problems and current focus and look at all God has blessed you with.  You’ll operate from a place of abundance and wake-up feeling more joy, calm and peace. This feeling lightens your soul and enriches your life. You will experience lasting effects of this practice and open your eyes to all you have and increase your contentment.

Visualization – Imagine a beautiful place that you have been too.  Focus on what you see, the smells, how you feel there, the deeper you an relive that amazing experience the stronger the ability to relax becomes. Focus on the temperature of the air and how the wind moves the landscape, every little detail that you an recall. Try to see and observe what you have in your memory and use it to bring calm into every day situations to restore calm.