10 Steps To A Mindful Life: Your Plan For The First 30 Days

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Do you struggle with the feeling of being overwhelmed in your day-to-day life? Do you find yourself constantly ruminating over the past and worrying about what’s yet to come? This constant cycle of anxiety draws you away from being able to live in the present moment.

You want a life that’s peaceful, where you’re able to take steps in the right direction, but you’re dragged down by all that inner turmoil. To resolve this, the Liven app has explored how the practice of ‘Mindfulness’ can massively assist in grounding you to the present moment, helping you find peace in between all the chaos. What you need is a practical 10-step plan that will help you make small, consistent changes over 30 days which will lead to lasting improvements in your overall well-being.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment with a non-judgmental and accepting attitude. It helps you become aware of your thoughts, emotions, and sensations, but doesn’t allow you to get caught up in them.

Practicing mindfulness is a great way to reduce stress in your daily life, and helps you cultivate a sense of calmness. Through a lot of research, as well as articles you can check out on the the Liven app, mindfulness has been shown to improve mental well-being, reduce anxiety and depression, increase focus and attention, and even enhance relationships. By helping you become more aware of your habits and patterns, you will be able to make conscious choices that better align with your values and goals.

In order to cultivate a mindful life, you’ll need to regularly practice it. There are many different ways in which you can incorporate mindfulness into your daily life, and this article will help you plan out how to do it in a 30-day period so that it doesn’t overwhelm you. Once these practices become habits, you’ll look back and realize how much your life and mentality has changed for the better. We’ll divide the process into 4 weeks, each targeting a specific section of mindfulness.

The First Week: Creating a Foundation

In this first week, our goal is to lay the foundation on which you will build the rest of your mindfulness activities. Being committed to these steps for the first week will help ingrain it as a habit within you, and will make the coming weeks easier.

Decide on a goal: It’s important to know what you’re working towards, or you may grow disillusioned with the effort you’re having to put in. Try to clarify and remind yourself why you’re practicing mindfulness. Writing it down in a journal will help even more so.
Begin practicing meditation: For the first week, simple meditation that’s focused on slowing things down and taking deep breaths for just 5-10 minutes will help lower the stress you feel, and prepare for more in-depth meditation practices later on.
Learn gratitude: It’s incredibly easy to take things for granted in this day and age. The reality is that we’re lucky for things that we have, be it something as simple as running water, or something more unique like that promotion you recently got at work. Take the time each morning or evening to list out three things you’re grateful for, and this will help you foster a positive mindset.

The Second Week: Learning To Be Aware

Mindfulness roots in being able to cement yourself in the present. Too often, people lose time due to fixations on the past and the future, while precious seconds are ticking away. The second week is about learning to bring yourself into the present moment.

Reduce digital distractions: The average American checks their phone at least once every 10-12 minutes.That’s an absurd level of dependence on a digital device, and it understandably has a negative effect on your mental health and ability to focus. By designating periods of the day that are ‘screen-free’, you’ll be able to ground yourself to the present moment. It’s doubly important to have these screen-free periods during meals, as well as before bed. It’ll help improve the quality of your sleep.
Practice active listening: In a lot of conversations, people seem to be waiting for their turn to speak rather than actually listening to what’s being said. When you engage in a conversation, force yourself to truly listen to the speaker and understand their words, holding off on creating a response until they’re done speaking. You will interrupt people less, and they’ll find you to be a better conversationalist too.
Practice body scan meditation: This is a more advanced form of meditation. Lie down and try to mentally scan your body from head to toe. When you’re scanning a part, try to focus on every sensation it can feel, assess anything that might be wrong with it, and you’ll find yourself cultivating a deeper connection with your physical self.

The Third Week: Adding More Mindful Actions

Appreciating everything life has to offer, no matter how mundane, is a core aspect of mindfulness.

Mindful eating: When you eat a meal, pay attention to the taste, texture, and warmth of your food instead of just chowing down. Yes, food is for sustenance, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy it. You’ll gain an appreciation for cooking and mealtimes instead of considering it a hassle. Try to avoid screens during this time.
Mindful movement: When going on walks, try to focus on the sights and sensations instead of just trying to get from point A to point B. You’ll gain appreciation for your surroundings, and it helps incorporate mindfulness into your routine, helping you stay present throughout your day. Other activities like yoga and tai chi can also be approached the same way.
Perform random acts of kindness: Something as simple as holding the door open for someone, helping a stranger who looks lost, or tossing a few coins to a local street musician will help cultivate compassion and presence. After all, humans are social creatures, and you will feel warmth from being kind without expecting anything in return.

The Final Week: Sustaining Your Mindfulness

It’s the final week. Look at how far you’ve come! Let’s see how we can maintain this growth.

Reflection and course correction: Everyone has their own pace, and that’s okay. Some people will be able to achieve a mindful life in less than a month, and some will take longer. There’s nothing wrong with either. Take the time to assess your progress, celebrate your improvements, and make adjustments where you need to so that you can keep improving.

Conclusion

This 30-day journey to a mindful life consists of small steps you incorporate into your life each week, and over time, they will have a substantial effect. It’s important to keep in mind that the journey doesn’t end after just 30 days. You must keep practicing these habits and cultivate mindfulness and awareness in every aspect of your life. Try new mindfulness techniques, and give yourself a break if things don’t go the way you want them to.

Some days will be harder than others, and it’s important to not be hard on yourself then. Keep focusing on the present moment, and be kind and compassionate to yourself. With time, you’ll find that you have better concentration skills, lowered stress, a better grip on your emotions, and even appreciation for the simple things in life. Celebrate the progress you’ve made, and you’ll be able to live a much more positive life thanks to the profound and transformative effect mindfulness has.