The term “mindfulness” can easily sound overwhelming. Then you layer in “practicing or achieving mindfulness” and it can add stress and anxiety to the stress and anxiety you are looking to reduce! Making time for mindfulness does not need to be complicated and has so many benefits. It can increase our ability to regulate emotion, decrease stress, anxiety and depression. Prioritizing mental health can also help us focus, and to process everything going on around us.
Mindfulness is officially “a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and personal space” but we like to think of it simply as a way to embrace a culture of overall health, decompress and focus.
As straightforward as it may seem, many struggle to make time for mental health practices. If you need a little clarity in your day try these 3 simple ways to prioritize your mental health and make time mindfulness. Read our best practices for mental health below.
1. Use Technology to your Advantage
For many of us, it’s easy to schedule time for every meeting… except the ones that matter most.
When planning your week, consider:
- Schedule a “meeting” as designated time for mindfulness
- Download an app with reminders and mindful activities
Setting reminders in your schedule to prioritize a mental health break will instill a habit of regularly scheduled mindfulness
2. Embrace Mindful Exercises
Once you’ve scheduled your time, find a mindfulness exercise that feels right for you. Deep breathing, yoga and meditation are all great ways to readjust your frame of mind and reduce stress. Additionally, according to the Mayo Clinic, evidence supports the effectiveness of meditation for various conditions, including:
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Pain
- Depression
- Insomnia
- High blood pressure
Struggling to find time to practice these exercises and prioritize mental health? Try utilizing times where you’re already relaxed–after waking up, before bed or during a lunch break.
3. Simplify Your Life Wherever and Whenever Possible
Do you find yourself struggling to decide what’s for dinner or what movie to start? Chances are, you’re not suffering alone. According to Business Insider, simplicity can help reduce “decision fatigue.” Try to simplify your decision making process by only entertaining your first 2-3 options.
There’s no better time than now to start prioritizing mindfulness. Your mental health will thank you!
At Clarity Benefit Solutions, we believe life is a journey; one that should be lived well. Our goal is to bring clarity into the challenging world of benefits and utilize technology to simplify benefit administration, reduce costs and empower our customers.
With a full suite of consumer benefits, we offer reliable solutions that ease pain points, provide clear direction, and lack unnecessary complexity. After all, simplicity is the key to living well.
Simplicity is at the heart of our company and in the details of everything we do from championing National Simplicity Day to our Simply Smarter Approach to employee benefits. This mindset has led to thoughtful new ways for all of us to get the most out of our benefits and to ensure that people are ready for whatever comes their way.
