If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you know that living a mindful life is extremely important to me. I want to truly appreciate my surroundings and stay present. I try to practice mindfulness in every area of life possible, but also want to maintain balance and grace for myself.
So many of us live such busy lives… always moving from one thing to the next without taking much time to pause. And so often, when we do get a chance to slow down, we fill that time with things like social media or TV. I enjoy these things, but they can also leave me feeling unsatisfied or bad about myself. Anyone relate?
In order to limit the amount of time I’m spending looking at a screen, I recently decided to work on creating a new habit. I actually tried it for awhile during my November Mindfulness Challenge last year and absolutely loved it. But then the holidays came and I was in the middle of moving, and it hadn’t quite become a habit yet, so I failed to keep it up. We have to stick to something for awhile before it becomes like second nature. This time around, I am determined. And I hope you’ll try it with me…
So let’s get to it… what is this amazing lifestyle tip I’m raving about?
Do not look at your phone, or other forms of technology if possible, for the first and the last hour of your day. Instead: read, journal, exercise, meditate, take a bath, spend quality time with loved ones… do things that are relaxing, motivating, and/or make you happy.
For example: refrain from checking your email in bed the moment your alarm goes off, and don’t mindlessly scroll before going to sleep. Spend these first and last hours doing things for yourself, if at all possible.
Recently I’ve been meditating (using the Calm app) and journaling in the morning while drinking my coffee, and have been reading, working out and/or spending time with friends and family at night.
Trust me when I say implementing this tip will change your life. Here’s why.
Your goals will become more attainable. Did you make a goal to workout more this year? How about read more books? Putting away technology instantly creates more time for these things. And when we accomplish the goals we set for ourselves, we feel GOOD. Our quality of life improves.
Some forms of relaxation are actually much more relaxing than others. Sitting on the couch watching TV and looking at Instagram may not require much energy, but it won’t bring you peace. Choosing to read or meditate is much more effective if you want to decompress (applicable to the end of the day).
We are happier when we take care of ourselves. No questions asked… this one is non-negotiable. Focus on YOU instead of the people on your screen and you’re already taking better care of yourself.
You get to set your mindset in the AM before someone else has a chance to interrupt. If I look at my phone first thing, more often than not I see an annoying email, a sad news story, or something on social media that makes me discouraged and then my mind will just start racing. When I instead turn off my alarm and just leave my phone on my nightstand while I head upstairs and finish my morning routine, I am in complete control of my mood. I meditate and practice gratitude so that I have more strength to face the things life throws at me.
That list of benefits could go on forever, which is exactly why I feel confident enough to say that this little lifestyle tip will improve your life. Remember – in addition to the big things, life is made up of lots of small actions, small moments, & small changes.
It won’t be easy at first. It definitely hasn’t been for me. Be persistent and don’t beat yourself up if you forget or “fail” a couple times. Every day is a fresh start. I believe in you, and we’re in this together! 🙂
XO Sorelle
OUTFIT DETAILS:
TURTLENECK (the one I’m wearing is from Native Cloud, a Seattle-based online vintage boutique that I absolutely LOVE… this one is similar)
JACKET (similar) | & another option here
SKIRT (also Native Cloud, this one is similar)
BOOTS
Gosh that’s so hard! I feel like I’m on my phone right when I wake up to see what’s going on and then at night to wrap up my day. But, I do know I’m on technology WAY too much 🙂 I’ve been taking daily baths to just chill out and refocus my mind.