Why Mindfulness Needs To Be Your Theme For 2017

Mid-January and, I think everyone I know is tired about hearing of New Year’s Resolutions. Except me. Bring it on: I love me a good vision board, life plan and bucket list. I can’t help it–I’m a Capricorn, and we’re planners. 

For those that hate the New Year’s Resolutions (you feel that if one more colleague/friend/family member even mentions getting a gym membership you’ll scream), I get you. I do. These goals feel empty, and they’re often short lived. So, what’s the point?

That’s why I do New Year’s Resolutions differently. Instead of picking a goal (like losing weight), I pick a theme for the year. I pick an idea that I hope to carry with me for the year, and it makes it easier to stick to. The year my theme was Adventure, I went to my first concerts and my first Toronto Pride. The year my theme was Movement, I took fitness classes, practiced pole fitness every day, taught myself Crow pose and how to do a headstand. 

This year, my theme  is Mindfulness. 

What the fudge does that mean? It means for this year, my goal is to put intention into my life. Instead of spending the night Netflixing while I do homework while I Pinterest while I answer emails while I cook dinner while I learn to juggle overripe fruit–I’m going to stop. Breathe. And do one thing, with all my focus and attention.  

Now, don’t get me wrong, I still have goals for 2017. But I try to make sure they tie into my theme, that way it kind of feels more like a mind shift than a to-do list. 

My 2017 Goals include:

• Giving all my energy to The Nourished Mind to provide weekly content every Saturday
• Developing relationships with like-minded people + fostering community 
• Expanding my culinary repertoire by cooking new recipes + staying present in the kitchen
• Making self-care an utmost priority

Why Be Mindful?

Here’s the thing: mindfulness is boring. Especially in our go-go-go lives. We like things fast, and instant and convenient. So trying to slow down when you have a million things to do, just sounds awful. It sounds counterintuitive. It sounds like a waste of time. 

But there’s a lot of good science right now proving the opposite: mindfulness can help you be your best self.

I’m talking about benefits like:

• reduced anxiety

• better sex life 

• sharper brain function 

• better mood

• increased focus

• reduced risk of Dementia 

Going forward, you’ll be seeing a lot of talk about mindfulness on the blog, and we’ll delve into topics like  how to handle stress, how to increase your focus, how to prevent neurodegenerative diseases, how to feel more creative, how to perform better at work and what foods really make you smarter. So I hope you stay tuned. 

3 Ways To Be Mindful Today

1. Do one thing at a time.

    If you’re going to eat, turn off Netflix. If you’re going to watch Netflix, stop checking Instagram. If you’re on your computer, only have one tab open. You get the idea: focus on one thing at a time and nothing else.

2. Put down your fork after every bite.

   Try to savour each bite you take, and really pay attention to the flavours and the textures of what you’re putting in your mouth. Putting down your fork also encourages you to chew your food, a big bonus for your digestion. 

3. Take 5 minutes to tidy up before leaving a room. 

   This has been a great tool for helping me feel less stressed: whenever I leave the kitchen or living room, I spend five minutes tidying it up so it looked the same as it did before I entered. Not only does this keep your house clean (woo!), but the lack of clutter also keeps you feeling calm when you walk back into the room! 

What are daily practices you use to stay mindful? Do you have a theme for 2017? Let me know in the comments below, and make sure you subscribe to my newsletter!