These gooey brownies contain NO sugar, NO eggs and NO flour. Plus, chocolate stimulates dopamine release which helps us feel more motivated and happy! Dig in!
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups Medjool dates
1/4 cup almonds (unsalted)
1 cup walnuts (unsalted)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
Cinnamon for dusting
METHOD
Remove the pits from the dates and chop the almonds. Place the walnuts in food processor and blend until finely ground. Add the cocoa powder and salt. Pulse to combine. Turn on the food processor. As the it’s running, add one date at a time. Once you have added all your dates, the mixture should be a little crumbly but easily formable. You can text it by taking out a small chunk and rolling it into a ball in your hand. If the mixture is too dry, add more dates. Put the almonds and pulse a couple times to combine (if a ball has formed, you can also mix in the almonds in a bowl).
Forming the brownies: Line a small square dish with wax paper and press into the desired thickness. You can
also press the brownie mix into a greased muffin tray. Place in the refrigerator or freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up; they can easily be cut when cold. Dust with cinnamon to serve.
Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is one of the ultimate fish to eat for brain health. Eggs are also a good source of several nutrients tied to brain health, including vitamins B6 and B12, folate and choline.
INGREDIENTS
2 large eggs
30g smoked salmon
2 tsp cream cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Wholewheat, rye or gluten free toast of
choice
Fresh lemon for squeezing
METHOD
Lightly beat eggs in a small bowl until combined. Coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium. Add the egg mixture and cook, stirring often, until scrambled, about 3 minutes. Spread cream cheese over toast, add scrambled eggs and salmon. Top with salt and pepper and a dash of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Enjoy!
Between trying to balance a busy home life with the never-ending demands of the world of work, it can be hard to find time in the day to take care of your own mental health and well-being.
That’s why, in this week’s blog, we go over our top tips for embracing self-awareness through regular meditation and developing better emotional wellness by taking time to practice mindfulness every day.
We also give you a go over a quick and simple, five-minute meditation session that is perfect for stress relief where you’re short on time.
What is meditation?
Meditation is the habitual practice of training your mind to build better focus, redirect your thoughts and improve your own emotional awareness. This ancient wellness practise focuses on training awareness, attention, and compassion while trying to achieve a state of mental clarity and emotional calmness.
What most people don’t know is that there are actually many different styles of meditation, and each practice requires a different skillset and mindset. The two major styles of mediations include:
Focused-attention meditation:
This style of meditation aims to focus your attention on a single thought, object or visualization in order to clear your mind of any disturbances or distractions. This could involve repeating a particular mantra or focusing on a specific breathing pattern.
Open-monitoring meditation:
This type of meditation is all about broadening your awareness as a whole while taking in every aspect of your environment. The idea is to become more aware of the thoughts, feelings and sensations around you which you may usually try to suppress or skip over in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
The benefits of meditation
Meditation is something everyone can do to improve their mental and emotional health, and the practice has been successfully used for many years to help people increase awareness of both their inner selves and their surroundings.
Individuals who are able to effectively enter a meditative stage are able to use this practice to develop a more outlook on life, elevate their mood and improve their self-discipline – but research shows that the benefits of meditation extend past just basic self-awareness and a better sense of clarity.
Here are just a few of the ways in which developing a daily meditation routine will benefit you:
It will reduce your stress and anxiety
It will calm your nervous system (since meditation has been proven to be a very effective way to bring your brain waves into a deeply calm and relaxed state)
It will promote better emotional health and self-awareness
It will improve your attention span and concentration
It will help reduce any memory loss
According to some research, it will help you manage symptoms of all kinds of conditions such as asthma, chronic pain, depression, high blood pressure, sleep problems and tension headaches.
Meditation basics
How to manage your breathing
Most people think that there must be a certain technique to breathing right when it comes to meditation but, in actual fact, most meditation experts recommend that you allow your body to breathe naturally. After all, the whole point of mindfulness and meditation is to cultivate awareness and find a sense of peace.
That being said, there are a few tips and tricks that will help you hone your focus and really immerse yourself in that meditative stage. Experts recommend that you take several deep breaths before you start, as well as to focus on breathing in through your nose and breathing out through your mouth until you find a comfortable rhythm.
Keeping a clear head
It’s completely normal to feel your mind wondering when you first start your meditation journey. The important thing to remember is that it will always take a bit of time to get comfortable with being alone with your thoughts when you first get started, and there’s no rush to achieve a certain level of clarity and stillness immediately.
The reality is that meditation is not about stopping your thoughts completely. Instead, it’s about learning how to observe your thinking while managing feelings of restlessness and anxiety in order to find some stillness in the moment.
Remember, there might be some setbacks along the way, but it’s important to recognize that this is just a part of your meditation journey.
A quick 5-minute meditation routine for stress relief
Gaining a new perspective when it comes to stressful situations can be as simple as dedicating just five minutes a day to sitting down and taking some time to improve your mindfulness through meditation.
The great thing about meditation is that it really can be done anywhere, and it doesn’t require any specialized equipment or space.
How to get started:
Find a place on the floor or at your desk chair to sit upright in a relaxed, comfortable position.
Take time to notice how you’re feeling and acknowledge any emotions or sensations that you may be experiencing at the time.
Actively relax your body and feel the weight of it sink into the floor or your chair.
Take a second to notice your own breathing pattern and slowly breathe deeply in and out through your nose and mouth until you are comfortable.
Now, take five minutes to sit in stillness and reflect. Remember to be kind to your wandering mind as you take on this new practice.
While five minutes can feel like a short amount of time, taking a moment to separate yourself from the constant busyness and distraction of the world we live in today can dramatically improve your ability to cope with stress, increase your focus and improve your productivity — as well as enable you to be more fully present during the rest of your activities throughout the day.
Some other handy tips:
If your work or home environment has too many distractions to allow for a peaceful, quiet surrounding, consider participating in a group meditation class over the weekend. This can improve your chance of successfully mastering meditation as you’ll have the guidance of a seasoned instructor to assist you during your learning journey, as well as the additional support of an entirely new community.
Alternatively, consider setting your alarm a few minutes early to take advantage of some quiet time in the morning. This may help you develop a more consistent habit and allow you to set the tone for the day so that you can tackle every task further with a more positive attitude.
Holistic, healthy living with WellBe
This November, we’re zoning-in on the theme of focus, mental wellness and mindfulness.
That’s why we’ve developed our two new 12-week nutrition and training guides to help you live every day with a clear intention to get closer to achieving your goals and living a life that is centred around healing, health and happiness.
Our easy-to-implement, lifestyle-focused nutrition, training and health solutions are fun, simple and the perfect way to improve your mental focus and renew your motivation for the week ahead with a variety of healthy, balanced meal plans and killer workout routines.
Want to know more? Check out our Instagram page or contact one of our friendly WellBe team members for more information today.
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 Tbsp warm water
2 cups whole rolled oats
½ cup slivered almonds
⅔ cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup brown/coconut sugar
1 tsp baking powder & cinnamon
¾ tsp sea salt
¾ cup almond milk
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
3 Tbsp melted coconut oil or butter (if not vegan)
1 banana, chopped
1 cup strawberries, sliced
½ cup blueberries
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C and spray an 8×8-inch (or similar) baking dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine flaxseed and warm water and set aside to thicken (about 5 mins). Reserve 2 Tbsp of almonds and coconut flakes and set aside. In a large bowl combine the oats, the remaining almonds, hemp seeds and coconut flakes, and the baking powder, cinnamon, sugar and salt In a medium bowl, combine the almond milk, maple syrup and coconut oil and whisk to combine. Stir in the flaxseed mixture and blend until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir to combine. Layer the bananas and strawberries in the baking dish and spread the oat mixture on top. Sprinkle with the blueberries and the reserved almonds, hemp seeds and coconut flakes. Bake for 40-50 mins or until the top is crisp and the middle is set. I find it easiest to wedge a knife in and make sure the middle has thickened nicely. Remove and let cool for 15 mins before serving.
A quick-cooking whole grain, bulgur wheat is perfect for the time-crunched weeknight cooking. You can substitute quinoa or whole-wheat couscous if you can’t find any bulgar wheat.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cups water
2/3 cup bulgur wheat
500 grams chicken breast cutlets
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper 4 cups packed rocket
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
2 cups sliced fresh peaches
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
METHOD
Bring 1 1/3 cups water and bulgur wheat to a boil in a small saucepan over high. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 10 mins. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well; let dry on paper towels. Meanwhile, heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over high. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Grill chicken, turning occasionally, until done, 6 to 7 mins. Remove to a cutting board. Let stand 3 mins. Slice against the grain into strips. Place bulgur, rocket, tomatoes, and peaches in a large bowl. Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt, oil, and vinegar; toss to coat. Divide mixture among 4 plates; top evenly with chicken.
It’s normal to start feeling your energy levels drop throughout the day. Most tend to feel sluggish, fatigued and slow by early afternoon. The good news is that there are some small but really effective practices that you can put in place every day to renew your energy.
That’s why, in this week’s blog, we give you our top helpful, healthy habits that will
reignite your energy levels and re-energize your mind and body so that you can be your most productive self every day.
Energy-boosting habits
A lack of energy could significantly affect your ability to perform basic daily activities, as well as noticeably affect your productivity at work. That’s why it’s really important to identify the source that’s draining your energy and develop small changes in your everyday habits to fix this. So, here are our top pick-me-up tips that are proven to work:
1. Pay attention to how you fuel your body
Eating clean isn’t just about looking good. Remember, the food we put into our body acts as our primary energy source for the day. The fact is that not all foods will fuel your body equally. The type of food you eat in particular plays an essential role in determining your energy levels during the day. The right food contains nutrients that could help increase your energy levels and better maintain alertness and focus throughout the day.
After all, nutrition is the key to a healthy mind and a healthy body. So, it’s only natural that heart whole-foods will equip you with a long-lasting energy source, while refined, junk-foodie meals will leave you feeling unfulfilled and sluggish.
For example, a simple banana could be considered a superfood when it comes to boosting your energy and alertness. It’s an excellent source of complex carbs, potassium, and vitamin B6 – all of which can help boost your energy levels. These essential minerals and vitamins are all needed to keep your energy and your immunity strong.
2. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep
The reality is that we just can’t function at our full capacity without having an optimal number of hours of sleep every night (most experts say that’s around 7 to 9 hours a night). That’s because sleep is the key ingredient when it comes to keeping us healthy and functioning well. Sleep lets your body and brain repair, restore, and re-energize itself every night, so that you wake up refreshed and ready to tackle a new day in the morning.
Mounting evidence even suggests exhaustion and sleep deprivation can severely impede your productivity, with one study of 4,188 workers citing that those who didn’t get enough sleep every night had “significantly worse productivity, performance, and safety outcomes”at work.
Not only that, but individuals who fail to get enough sleep every night are also more prone to depression, weight gain, lower immunity and impaired thinking. So, maybe it’s a good idea to skip that last episode of Nailed It tonight and turn the lights out early.
3. Drink more water
If you’re dehydrated, the chances are you’ll have far less energy than those around you. Simple things such as staying awake at your office desk or making good on your promise to go to the gym after work might seem impossible, and strenuous exercise will seem like a mountain of a challenge.
Many studies have shown that dehydration lowers energy levels, impedes athletic performance and causes individuals to feel sluggish and off their game throughout the day.
That’s why drinking water is the ultimate health hack. Upticking your water intake will not only renew your energy levels, but it will also improve your memory and mood, increase your weight loss and give your skin a healthier glow.
4. Boost your mood
We know that sometimes your day can feel like it’s super-packed, not-stop busy. It might feel like you don’t have a single moment to spare to eat, sleep or breathe. That’s why it’s important to make the most of every hour in the day and develop habits that will help you to be as productive as possible.
Taking an hour out of your day for self-care might seem counterintuitive at first. It’s difficult to allow yourself to step away from your work when there’s competing deadlines and clients emailing you 24/7. But it’s time to lose the guilt and make way for your own self-care every day.
By simply devoting an hour a day to any activity that will help will boost your mood, you’ll end up banking more productive hours in the long run. Studies show that self-care improves productivity and helps to break the cycle of feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and disinterested in your work.
Start by committing to waking up early in the morning to meditate or go for a run, or set aside an hour in the afternoon for any type of exercise, meditation, yoga. Even just a stroll outside will help change the way you tackle the day and renew your motivation for the tasks ahead of you. While it’s not always easy to implement new habits (some say it takes up to 21 days of repeating a habit for it to stick) it will be well worth it in the long run.
Staying energized with WellBe
Here at WellBe&Co, we believe that better health starts with better habits. That’s why we’ve introduced our 12-week body reboot training guide to give you a step-by-step roadmap towards living a more happy, healthy and energy-filled life. This workout and training guide is the best way to boost your energy, get those endorphins flowing and help you stay more motivated everyday.
You won’t find any excessively restrictive, bogus claim, too good to be true fad here. Our mission is to debunk these many false health and fitness myths and help empower people to live at their best life, on their own terms.
When it comes to eating clean, we’ve got you covered too. Our nutrition and recipe guide will equip you with the most up-to-date nutrition, training and supplement advice tailored to your individual needs, goals and personal preferences. View your plan, track your progress and stay motivated by using our downloadable WellBe Health App.
Pssst: Did you know that, if you buy both guides together in the month of September only, you’ll save R150. You’ll also save an additional R100 when purchasing both plans together if you use the promo code WELLBE100. Isn’t that great?
A top tip from the inner circle of veteran vegans; once you make the decision regarding the BIG ‘V’, please do yourself a favour & prep, babe! This is not a choice to be taken lightly, it is a lifestyle change at the end of the day & your current pantry staples are more than likely not really up to scratch! You reckon you’re fine, ‘cause you have bread & butter, you’ll just make a sarmie?
Nope. That bread is probably made with milk & your fave sandwich spread is 100% made using eggs. UGH!
You are about to venture into the most intense game of speed reading you could ever imagine. I am pretty sure every single Pick ‘n Pay employee in Jozi must think I’m not lekker in the head; I stand for hours reading labels. Why does everything use MILK POWDER? You’re about to lose A LOT of the products you once knew & loved. Perhaps, take a moment of silence for your once beloved packet of Doritos. Shame.
This all may sound scary & overwhelming, thinking that you’re ‘losing out’ by going vegan. But, you are about to gain so much more! You would not believe the incredible vegan alternatives to absolutely everything you can imagine… Vegan chocolate is the flippin’ bees knees! (No bees were harmed in the making of this blog thanks to SunnyBo Hunny!)
Back to business, though! My newbie vegan shopping list is short & sweet, to get you through your first week. You probably think it’s a list as long as my arm, consisting of quinoa, agave syrup & tofu? Well, the truth of the matter is, there is only one thing in this realistic vegans starter pack…
Peanut butter.
Yep, that is all you need, honey. Peanut butter (OhMega Nut Butters being my personal favourite!) & a spoon big enough to feed the inevitable cravings. Because, they will come. Trust that! I think the vegan community has created an air of being ‘from the Earth’, drinking water straight from the damn stream & bathing in oat milk… (Oat milk is hella expensive, it would be a very shallow soak.)
But the reality is, most of us are just as unhealthy as the next person. Myself included! I can promise you right now, every single vegan alive has some sort of nut butter in the cupboard. Not all of us want to eat kale & drink Kombucha. DO NOT BE FOOLED!
You need to understand, going into this that your body is going to go through some major changes. A lot of withdrawal & you are going to have some hectic cravings for things you never thought you would miss! Fish paste from boarding school when you were in grade 7? GET IN MY BELLY! A lekker oily boerie roll from that dodgy braai stand outside of Builders Warehouse? ASSEBLIEF!
But, if you’re committed to your decision to tread more lightly on the planet, then push through! The reward far outweighs your need for a lamb chop or even a Wimpy burger! Think of the impact you as a person are making in the world. For every year that you choose not to eat meat, you would have saved 10 055 pigs, 647 737 chickens, 11 357 cows & 3 million prawns! I highly suggest checking out Fry’s website to see some really eye-opening stats!
I mean, that is a hell of a lot of good karma!
A Raw Deal
I think my least favourite question I get, being a vegan (and trust me, there are PLENTY) is, “but why are you vegan?” I am never quite sure how to respond to that one. Should I be brutally honest? Should I sugar-coat it so that I don’t offend you? And, are you genuinely asking out of interest or are you just waiting to give me your opinion?
My answer? I am vegan for all of the reasons.
But mainly ‘cause Russel Brand told me so & who could ever say no to him?
Want some meal inspo? Check out these plant-based meals:
I don’t really remember the day, to be honest, the specific day that I stopped eating meat. It was more of a slow process of eating less of it & a whole lot more frozen broccoli than I care to admit.
All of a sudden, I realised it had been MONTHS since I had eaten any meat. I kind of accidentally became a vegetarian & felt like a new woman. But to say I was nervous to tell anybody about my new lifestyle change, would be a MASSIVE understatement. I knew the stigma. Hell, I had possibly added to the problem many times throughout my life, with poorly timed jokes at the expense of someone else.
The Saturday afternoon that I had been dreading for months finally reared its ugly head… A family braai. It was time. Time to break the news to my VERY Afrikaans family that, “no, I will pass on the boerewors today, Oom. How about a fried mushroom instead?” Shock & horror followed this, as predicted & there was a moment of silence for the loss of a comrade. I scoffed down that rubbery mushroom & got the heck out of there before they had the chance to ask me, “but where will you get your protein?”
Although the braai was not nearly as difficult as I thought it might be, the judgement & scandal behind my choices extended past my family. Strangers felt the need to let me know why meat is a necessary part of my diet, their favourite argument being… “If we’re not meant to eat meat then why do we have canine teeth?”
The Journey: Part 2
My living hell was only perpetuated when I took the next step of becoming vegan. A no-brainer for me, but more of a NO-BRAIN to those around me. It was an easy transition, my only regret? Not doing it sooner.
I was living in the mountains of the Drakensberg at the time, doing yoga in the veld & eating tomatoes straight from the freaking earth, man. I was some kind of hippy, minus the leg hair (mostly.) I was always the odd one out. The black sheep, or rather the black BeyondMeat patty.
For the most part, being vegan in the Berg was a breeze. I got a few quizzical looks at coffee shops when I asked for non-dairy milk. Huh? Like… Goat milk? Uh. Never mind, I’ll just have still water. It was actually during that time that I learnt how to drink black coffee & pretend like it didn’t taste like sadness. I only cried in the shower a few times. WINNING!
But everything changed when I moved back to the city. Jozi, baba. You beaut! I found a community here, a community of like-minded people. A place where I could vent about the RIDICULOUS price of vegan yoghurt & not have someone roll their eyes straight back into their skull. I so appreciate that in a friend. If you’re looking for a starting point, I would highly suggest you check out my fellow veggie compatriot Caley’s blog, for all the inspiration you could ever hope for, honey!
Vegan Job Opportunities
At the same time, I realised that within this beautiful community of amazing people, there are a plethora of other factions. Societies within society & they’re out for blood. Human-blood, of course. They would not appreciate that joke!
I’ve affectionately named these groups; The Vegan Police, The Plastic Police, The Palm Sugar Police, The Gluten Police & The SAPS. Well, the last one is only on this list ‘cause I’m pretty salty about my lack of vegan wine in the cupboard, but that’s a whole other story.
These groups work tirelessly to ensure that you’re happy, but never TOO happy. Like your mother-in-law on a good day.
Enjoy that oat milk latte, Claire. But it better be in a paper cup! Oh, I hope you didn’t add any refined sugar to that? Is that coffee fair-trade? Are you going to recycle that cup or do you just hate sea turtles?
All I can say is that I am so happy that during a global pandemic, during this Coronacoaster, these cops have jobs & that they’re able to work from home! LUCKY! I just hope they’re being paid for their ‘ESSENTIAL’ services to the vegan community.
My wish is that this blog spot somewhere on the interweb inspires you. Inspires you to try a Fry’s Chicken Nugget without dry-heaving. Even if you chase it with a mouthful of fatty biltong. I’m not here to anybody; I’m just here for a good time not a long time, uhh. I mean, I’m here for the animals.
Eat food. Not too much, mostly plants.
“The most damaging phrase in language is; we have always done it this way.” Grace Hopper
While you’re here, check out some of my recent recipes with WellBe:
Diet diversity means to include a range of different food groups into your diet, and a variety of different colours.
Did you know that every food group serves a function for our bodies and provides us with different nutrients?
The colour of foods also influences the kind of nutrients the food offers. Which is why it is important to eat a variety of foods to ensure we are taking in as many vitamins and minerals as possible.
I am sure many of you have heard the phrase, “to eat the rainbow”. This is an old saying that many used to encourage others to eat variety, as it results in increased fibre, vitamin and mineral intake. The colour of fruits and vegetables is created by phytonutrients – natural chemicals that help protect plants from bugs, pesticides and the sun’s harmful rays. Phytonutrients keep the plant healthy and provide us with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. So, what do the different colours mean?
Red
red fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes and red pepper have cancer fighting properties and reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Orange and Yellow
orange and yellow fruits and vegetables such as oranges, carrots and corn improve the immune system as they are rich in Vitamin C.
Green
green fruits and vegetables help to detoxify the body and can also assist in supporting the immune system. I am sure many of you heard the saying, “eat your greens” when you were younger. Your parents said this because greens are one of the healthiest foods we can eat. Green vegetables like spinach and broccoli are high in folate – an important B-vitamin.
Purple
purple vegetables such as aubergine and purple cabbage have anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties.
Blue
blue fruits such as blueberries are high in antioxidants and are a great superfood for the body.
Benefits Of A Diverse Diet
As mentioned, the different food groups each provide our body with unique nutrients and functions. Daily, we consume both macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and protein) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) which serve a purpose for our body.
Macronutrients are nutrients that are needed in our bodies in large quantities and provide our body with energy.
Micronutrients are non-caloric and provide us with vitamins and minerals to support our gut health and immune system.
Carbohydrates, protein and fat all provide us with energy.
Protein is also important for muscle growth and bone health and fat insulates our organs and assists in hormone production.
As you can see, each food group provides a unique function for our body and aids our body to work in the most efficient way.
Recipe Ideas
Cocoa Blended Oats
Instead of a bowl of plain oats, change it up! Add some peanut butter for healthy fats and protein and top with fresh berries to increase your phytonutrient intake.
Perhaps you’re thinking life is already busy and stressful enough as it is. How will I be productive and get everything done in a day if I’m always taking the time to ‘stop and smell the roses’?
Various studies and research show that not only does practicing mindfulness increase our ability to cope with stress, it has also been shown to increase confidence, focus, and our ability to experience joy & happiness.
A Harvard study that was conducted with over 5 000 participants, across 80 countries, showed that our minds wander 47% of the time. That’s almost half of our lives that we are distracted. The study went on to show that we tend to be less happy when our minds wander compared to when we are in the present moment.
Perhaps you already recognize that constant dialogue going on in your mind. If not, try closing your eyes for a moment and think of nothing. It won’t take long before you acknowledge just how much our minds bounce back and forth incessantly from one thought to another.
Our conscious mind is the analytical part of our brain. It’s where we judge, plan, analyze, and criticize, and it can only process a fraction of the data it receives from all our senses. If you were to total up all information you receive every second from your sensory neurons – touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound – it would add up to around 11 million bits of information each second.
And how much do you think our conscious attention can handle? Only 60 bits per second.
Add into the mix an unprecedented growth in technology, our fast-paced and hyper-connected lifestyles result in us feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Our nervous systems are in an almost constant state of ‘fight or flight’. We act out of impulse, our minds feel blurry, unclear, and life can feel rather chaotic.
By practicing mindfulness, we are able to downregulate our nervous system and navigate through our lives with a greater sense of mental clarity and inner peace.
Defined as ‘the ability to focus on the present moment, on purpose, with an attitude of non-judgment’, mindfulness gives us a new vantage point so we can zoom out of the daily demands life throws at us, and are able to think more clearly.
It means moving through your day aware of what you’re doing, where you are, and who you’re with, without getting wrapped up in the inner dialogue of your mind. You allow yourself the space to think, to breathe, and to take up a role as the observer.
Ways to introduce mindfulness into your everyday life:
Spend time in nature – leave your phone at home and simply observe what you see. Take it all in, moment to moment. Even 10 minutes in the fresh air will do.
Mindful exercise – get out of your head and into your body by connecting breath to movement. Practices such as Yoga and Tai-chi help our nervous system get out of ‘fight or flight’ and into ‘rest and digest’.
Seated Meditation – sit comfortably, close your eyes, and observe your breath. The goal is NOT to empty your mind (it will wander!). Rather observe your thoughts as they come and go. Start with 5 minutes and work yourself up from there. For a variety of free guided meditations download the ‘Insight Timer’ App.
Mindful eating – skip eating on the run, at your desk, or while on your phone. Be with your food and savour each taste!
Studies show that practicing mindfulness strengthens our immune systems, decreases levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), as well as the size of the Amygdala – the fear center in our brains where our negative emotions & thoughts come from.
The more practiced we become at being present, the more we can open up to the richness of what life has to offer us. We can switch off autopilot and take back control in the driver seat of our lives.
And if that sounds like music to your ears, go ahead and enjoy listening to every note!
