DIGITAL STARTUP SOCIETY BLOG — 7 Practices to Help You Be More Mindful

How does your schedule look these days? Do you have plenty of time for everything you want and need to do, or are you short on time? Are your days leisurely or hurried? Do you always feel time-starved?   If you’re like most people these days, you feel like you never have enough time to even cover the basics, much less to wipe out your to-do list! Being starved for time seems normal. When you don’t have enough time, things like your mindfulness practice get pushed to the bottom of the list -if they don’t fall off of it entirely....

Mindfulness is called a practice for a reason -you have to practice it! It takes lifelong practice and dedication to hone the skill and become adept at it. Sometimes it takes more than that. Sometimes it requires help.   Getting support from other people for all of our paths in life is a crucial aspect of being human and of self-improvement. There’s nothing wrong with seeking help, and it’s always a good thing to meet new people interested in the same things you are.    Practicing mindfulness doesn’t need to be a solitary endeavor. You don’t have to go it...

It would be nearly impossible to overstate the importance of sleep when it comes to health, never mind mindfulness. Getting the right amount of sleep and good quality sleep is so important that it’s been described as the foundation of health -without it, nothing else works right.   What happens when you don’t get enough sleep, even for one night? Your glucose (blood sugar) levels get thrown off, as does your hormone balance. Your blood pressure and energy levels will get dinged. You’ll crave sugar and carbs.   Decision-making will be hard. So will focusing on tasks. You’ll be forgetful,...

Exercise is another thing you might not immediately associate with mindfulness, particularly in ways to help you be more mindful. But the mind and body are intimately connected. What affects one affects the other. This makes exercise a great way to improve mindfulness.   Mindful movement and mindful activities are common variations on the more common mindful meditation practice people usually start with. The purpose of these activities is to learn to be mindful while doing them. Mindful activities can include all forms of exercise.   But this isn’t about mindful exercise. This is just about how exercise and physical...

Breathing exercises are another practice you can adopt to help you become more mindful. Different forms of these exercises are used the world over for many different purposes, from meditation to deep-sea diving preparation.   This article is only going to discuss a couple of exercises you can try to improve your mindfulness practice. There are dozens. If you don’t like these, feel free to look for others.   Mindful Breathing This is the most basic form of breathing exercise and is often used to train people to be mindful. It’s also the easiest to do. Find a comfortable spot...