3 Mistakes that Keep You from Being Mindful

Being mindful isn’t always a straightforward journey. You may want to be mindful but struggle to reach the outcomes you want to achieve. You’re not alone. Three common mistakes can keep you from living passionately in the present. Let’s look at those, so you discover if you are facing one of them.

Mistake #1: Thinking you don’t have time to be mindful. When some people imagine living in the present, they think of spending hours contemplating the universe or life. But you don’t have to dedicate hours to being mindful. Even practicing mindfulness for a few minutes each day can make a significant impact on your life.

Mistake #2: Thinking you can’t do it right. Sometimes, people try to be mindful, then they immediately feel like failures. Many people associate being mindful with being 100% content or at peace with everything. Therefore, leading to feeling like you are doing something wrong if you don’t immediately find inner peace.

The truth is that mindfulness involves slowing down and paying attention. That means you may see things in your life that don’t make you happy. For example, you might practice mindfulness at work then realize your work isn’t fulfilling to you anymore. You are thus triggering intense feelings, which makes it hard for you to go back to being mindful.

The best thing you can do in this situation is to practice being mindful without judging yourself. Allow yourself to experience your emotions without getting upset over them.

Mistake #3: Forgetting to be mindful. With so much going on in the world today, it’s easy to forget to be mindful. If you struggle with this, try putting a reminder on your phone. Set the reminder to appear 60 seconds after your morning alarm will help you see the note first thing so you can start your day off right.

Everyone makes mistakes when it comes to being mindful. The important thing is that you return to the practice as soon as you realize you slipped up.

What are your struggles with mindfulness?