How easily distracted are you? To what extent does your mind wander while working, cooking, watching a film, driving, or even when in conversation with others?
The bad news is that, for most of us, the mind wanders like this a good bit of the time. The good news, however, is that it doesn’t have to be this way. By training in mindfulness, we can learn to be less distracted, more present, and more connected with the people and the world around us. So instead of thinking about life, we are actually living and experiencing life to the fullest.
There are many ways to learn to be more mindful, and every single moment of the day is another opportunity to remember that quality of mind and be present. Until we are really familiar with that quality of mind, that’s not always so easy. That’s where meditation comes in. Meditation helps us become more familiar with what it means to be present, so we can carry that back into our everyday life and experience it whenever, and wherever we are.
To be clear, meditation and mindfulness cannot necessarily change external circumstances, or remove us from difficulties, but they can help us to experience those challenges in a different way, where we have more space, a greater sense of calm, and are therefore able to respond to things without feeling so overwhelmed or getting swept away by our thoughts.
Before we get into the featured content for the month of May, you might notice a new video or two in the app, featuring Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe. We finally let him out of the studio to venture far and wide, exploring what it means to live more mindfully. “Everything In Between” is a journey of the human condition, from birth to death and, well, everything in between. Check out this video about mindful tech if you’d like to discover how to apply mindfulness to technology, and how to discover a little more sanity amongst the ever-increasing digital chatter.
May’s Featured Collection: Living Mindfully
The more we meditate, the more we look after the health of our minds. May is both National Meditation Month and National Mental Health Month, so use this collection of exercises to infuse a little more mindfulness into your days. Find these meditations in the “Featured” topic in the Headspace app, or by clicking the links below.
That’s Life
It’s all too easy to rush through our days, going from one thing to the next, without looking up. But life is not something that should pass us by without us paying attention. These exercises are designed to help us better connect with ourselves, and the people and environment around us.
On the Job
Work life can be challenging enough without adding other anxious elements to the mix, such as delivering a presentation or speech or having a tense conversation with a boss or colleague. But there’s no need to sweat — we’ve got you covered.
Finding Balance
Taking time out for ourselves, to breathe, reset, and renew, is an essential part of maintaining our equilibrium and unwinding. Treat these exercises and advanced meditations as your release-valve.