All too often, we have heard the catchphrase “seize the moment.” As part of friendly advice, a rallying call, or even both. Truly, it’s one of the most enticing one-liners there is.
However, it’s easier said than done, especially if you lack self-confidence. The good news is, you can build confidence through mindfulness meditation.
Confidence and Mindfulness
By definition, confidence is a firm belief in yourself and your abilities. Having a healthy dose makes you feel good about yourself and way easier to perform at a high level in any activity. Apart from being more creative and productive daily, you’ll also find it easier to talk to anyone with just about anything.
On the other hand, mindfulness is a type of meditation wherein you focus mainly on being “in the moment” and focus on what you’re feeling and sensing without any judgment or form of interpretation.
Meditation doesn’t always entail that you’ll need a yoga mat. In this instance, mindfulness is a rather quick tool that’ll allow you to recognize the moment while stepping away from the habitual, often unconscious physiological and emotional reactions to daily events.
Mindfulness Exercises
Whether at work or in our personal lives, we spend a considerable amount of time problem-solving and planning. If we include all the thinking (of random or at times negative thoughts) and daydreaming that we do, we get drained faster. Once this happens, you’re more likely to go through stress and anxiety, which can have more adverse effects, such as depression.
Thankfully, practicing mindfulness exercises helps you focus as you direct your attention away from these negative thoughts and seize the moment while actively engaging with the world around you.
The following are some of the simple ways to practice mindfulness daily:
- Focus on your breathing – one of the most straightforward mindfulness exercises is focusing on your breathing. This method is handy when you’re having negative thoughts. Simply take a deep breath with your eyes closed while being seated. For a couple of minutes, focus on every breath as it goes in and out of your body.
- Pay attention – in the midst of a hectic schedule, slowing down to notice things is a tall order. It’s always beneficial to take the time and experience your surroundings using all your senses. A great place to start is at the dining area when you eat your favorite food. Take the time to smell, taste, and genuinely enjoy your meal.
- Accept yourself – practice having a nonjudgmental attitude towards your experiences — meaning, learn not to label your thoughts, feelings, and experiences as good or bad and try not to change or resist them in any way. Also, treat yourself the way you would a great friend.
- Live in the moment – finally, always find joy in the simplest pleasures as you purposefully bring an open and accepting attitude to everything you do. Keeping yourself from the past or future and truly living in the now liberates you from unnecessary baggage and pointless anxiety for things that are yet to be.
Remember that mindfulness, even in the smallest things, is the key to get yourself in a calmer state of mind. Once you do, you get to slow things down and be more in control. Then, you’re not just able to make more sound decisions but also feel more confident about your choices.
Consider each mindfulness practice as a way of affirming your commitment to reconnecting with yourself and nurturing your abilities, including confidence. Like everything that holds a handsome reward, mindfulness is a process. Soon enough, you’ll see and experience things that you don’t like without having negative thoughts or conditioned behaviors.
As you develop mindfulness skills and become more confident and aware, you’ll find that the things used to make you feel insecure are habitual thoughts rather than the truth.
Engaging in mindfulness meditation exercises may not eliminate all of life’s pressures in your every attempt to seize the moment. However, the benefits of mindfulness, especially in pressure-packed situations, are more than enough to bring your mind and body into it.
