SECRETES TO BE IN A BETTER MOOD- MINDFULNESS TECHNIQUES AND MOMENT AWARENESS

If you are feeling challenged by what is going on in your life right now, it might sound a ridiculous suggestion that the present moment is the answer to feeling happier. Paying attention to the present moment – carefully noticing what is happening not just around you but also within you, in the form of your thoughts and emotions –  has become a practical tool for lowering stress and increasing productivity.

Ever walk to a destination only to ‘come to’ when you get there, not having noticed any of the journey?  This is the way we tend to lead our lives, so caught up with worries about the future and judgements on the past that we cannot even notice what is passing us by.

Here are ways in which present moment awareness can help your moods:

It Gives You The Power To Change Your Thoughts

Without present moment awareness it’s very easy to walk around not knowing what you really think or feel about things, or convincing yourself you think and feel like those around you you want to impress (sometimes called codependency). Of course you can’t change what you don’t know or understand. Bringing awareness to how you really think and feel, while potentially overwhelming at first, ultimately gives you the power to then choose to change those thoughts and feelings.

It can help you see good things you were missing

Often we are so distracted that we miss the good things going on around us or happening to us. We might not notice someone smiling at us, or that our gardens have flowered, or that our children have learned something new. Awareness of these little things can bring flashes of happiness, and these little moments can add up to a persistent better mood.

Your Relationships Can Improve

Being in the present moment doesn’t just make you available to your own thoughts and feelings, it means you notice those of others around you too. You aren’t busy thinking of your work project as they talk to you, or what they said or did a year ago, but are more capable of listening and understanding. This means you can connect better, develop greater intimacy, and even have a better sex life (you won’t be thinking about tomorrow’s shopping). Good relationships make us feel more supported and confident – it’s harder to feel in a bad mood when we feel accepted and loved.

Your Confidence Grows

When we learn to notice the present moment, we learn how we really think and feel. And knowing what our own thoughts and emotions are brings with it a confidence in who we are and what we want. As for big projects at work, if you are in the present moment you are more likely to put one foot in front of the other and get things done, as opposed to being so panicked worried about the future outcome of the project you lose your self-esteem or procrastinate and fulfill your own self-defeating prophecy.

You Become Less Over reactive

This one isn’t instant. But reacting strongly all the time is usually because we are not paying attention to what is happening, until we suddenly sense a peripheral danger (something that might hurt us emotionally) and overreact as a fail-safe. When we are in the present moment we are more likely to see situations clearly and be able to think through whether something really is a threat or not.

You Tend To Be More Physically Relaxed

Present moment awareness includes paying attention to how our bodies feel, and this means you will notice things like muscle tension when it begins and choose to relax or otherwise deal with it, not only paying attention when you suddenly throw your back out. Another benefit of present moment awareness is that anxious habits like nail biting and skin picking tend to abate.

You Can Spot Stress Earlier And Choose To Deal With It

The funny thing about stress is how easy it is to deny it – until we are so stressed we are panicking or a mess. But if you develop your present moment awareness you are more likely to spot exactly when the stress starts, and be able to choose to deal with it effectively before it takes over.

Conclusively, It’s recommended to have a time set aside each day to practice mindfulness. Even just ten minutes daily is thought to go a long way to help create the ‘now habit’. See present moment awareness as not an instant fix, but as a good long-term plan for better wellbeing.

Thots

Onyii udoh

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