Have you heard of mindfulness? Is it something you practice regularly? If you’re new to the concept or don’t remember to be mindful, getting into the habit can have a big impact on how content you feel. Let’s take a look at what mindfulness is and more importantly what it has to do with how happy and content we feel.

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the idea of being present and being fully aware of who you are, where you are, and how you feel. It’s really seeing the beauty around you. It’s about spending quality time with others being 100% present. It’s the complete opposite of being distracted and absent-minded.

In this day and age were we’re dealing with constant information and distractions, it’s hard to be mindful. Our default sate is to be unaware and filter out as much of the noise as we can. As a result, we’ve forgotten how to be mindful. When was the last time you stopped and smelled the roses?

What’s The Connection Between Mindfulness and Contentment?

Mindfulness will do a few different things for you that will increase your happiness and your overall contentment. The first thing it often does is it helps you recognize the negative thoughts that are stuck in your head. It helps you break through those thought patterns and loops, allowing you to focus on more positive and beautiful things.

Mindfulness also helps you focus on and increase gratitude. Often overlooked in the hustle and bustle, practicing gratitude is one of the quickest and most powerful tools to help you feel better and increase contentment. Make feeling grateful part of your daily mindfulness exercises and see for yourself how well this works.

How Can You Start To Practice Mindfulness?

Now that you know more about it, I’m sure you’re ready to give the practice of mindfulness a serious try. The good news is that it’s easy to do. The hard part is to remember to do it regularly. Set up reminders around the house, the office, or on your smartphone to create daily habits for this practice. When the time comes, or you simply think about practicing mindfulness, take a calming breath and become aware of your surroundings.

Practicing mindfulness can be as simple as admiring a pretty flower growing just outside your office window, or the puffy clouds forming on in the sky. It could be spending 15 minutes coloring with your toddler or really listening to your daughter tell you about her day at school. It’s all about paying attention to the little things.

Breathing meditation is another great way to practice mindfulness. Sit in a quiet room and become aware of your breath, your body, the chair or floor you’re sitting on, your posture, how the light warms your skin, and the likes. Whenever you find yourself getting distracted by other thoughts, gently bring yourself back to feeling your body and noticing your breath. Feel it flowing in and out. Practicing this for a few minutes daily is a great place to start. It’s also something that will help you become more aware of the beauty of the world around you for the rest of the day.