We learned a lot about mindfulness in 2020.

Our mind is the basis for everything we experience in life, which is why it makes sense to train it. 

Here are a few of our favorite pieces to remind us why we do it. 

Mindfulness and Meditation in 2020

What is mindfulness and why is it important? According to a Harvard study, our minds are wandering about 50% of the time we are awake. That’s an incredibly high percentage of our lives that we seemingly miss out on. So what can we do? 

Practicing mindfulness physically changes your brain. Essentially, our brains are a constant work in progress, and practices like mindfulness heavily influence the final product. 

Using mindfulness to reduce the stress of everyday life. Sometimes, our minds feel like a busy train station. So many thoughts are coming and going that we can’t seem to focus on what’s in front of us. 

How to incorporate mindfulness into your day-to-day life. A mindfulness practice doesn’t always involve sitting cross-legged on a cushion in complete silence. 

Increasing your attention span with simple everyday practices. The main issue with our attention span seems to be the immense amount of information we are subjected to on a daily basis.  The good news is that there are proven practices that we can do to retrain our attention.

The surprising link between mindfulness and curiosity. Creativity can bring us closer to our goals, show us our own true potential, and give us the means to be successful on our own.

Here’s why you should try mindful walking. It’s not complicated. As often as you can during your walk, simply refocus your attention on your senses. What do you smell, hear, see, and feel? 

Breathing 

Take a look at the science-backed benefits of breathing exercises. What is it about the act of focusing on our breath that calms us down? What exactly is happening in the body and mind?

3 Easy breathing techniques proven to reduce stress. You’re probably feeling a little stressed out these days, we know we are. These are designed for everyone from the seasoned yogi (not us) to the curious novice (definitely us!).

Gratitude

Here’s why you should do a gratitude exercise every day. The more we learn about the human brain, the more it becomes clear: the simple act of being grateful has profound effects on our minds. 

12 ways to practice gratitude right now. Practicing gratitude has some amazing benefits to both our bodies and our minds. The best part is you can reap the benefits starting right now! 

Wellbeing/Mental Fitness 

Rewiring your brain: What is mental fitness? Brain expert Jim Kwik notes that our brain is very much like a muscle and mental exercises yield gains just as physical ones do. 

Adding mental pauses into your day may be the key to success. When we look at our day it’s pretty easy to notice some of the negative habits that are automatically built-in; let’s change that. 

Four ways to calm your mind when you feel stressed. Sometimes it can feel like our minds are spinning a bit out of control. The good news is that there are a few simple ways to calm your mind and take back control.

How to cultivate an empathetic state of mind. We are all familiar with the term “empathy”, but how do we actually be empathetic?

That covers mindfulness in 2020. What do you want to learn about in 2021? Let us know!

If you really want to dive into a daily Mindfulness practice, we highly recommend the Waking Up App. Use this code to unlock a free month!