A journal is a great idea for you, your children, and yes, even the elderly. Did you know that many life coaches require that clients keep journals as part of their success program?

You might be surprised to learn that many successful and famous people kept journals.  Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Mark Twain, Lewis and Clark to name a few.

Discover 5 great reasons to keep a journal:

1. Keep a record of your life for yourself. Have you ever tried to remember when some specific event in your past actually happened? Do you remember the facts differently from others that were involved?

• If you keep a journal, you will have all the dates and facts right there. Even more important, you will be given the opportunity to see how your life has evolved.

• As we get older, every day seems to merge into the next. We get up, go to work, go home, eat dinner, watch TV, and repeat for 40 years.
  
  
• What may result by writing down the day-to-day aspects of your life? Your life will become more interesting. Think about it, journaling might encourage you to live a life you believe worthy of recording. You might find yourself adding more fun and adventure to your life, just so you can write about it.
  
  
• Consider how much your children might like reading your journals later in life. Wouldn’t you like to read about the thoughts and dreams or significant events of your parents or grandparents?  

2. You can record the lives of your children.  How great it would be to keep a journal as your child is growing up and then give it to them later in life?

• You will record everything that happened during the years when they are too young to keep a journal themselves. How meaningful would that be to them, and also be a great reminder for you.
  
  

3. Journals are great for processing feelings. It is very therapeutic! Things become a little clearer when we get them out of our heads and down on paper.

• Everything becomes a little more objective and realistic.

• You might be amazed at what you discover about yourself if you take the time to keep a journal.
  
  

4. Work towards your goals with a journal. A significant part of reaching goals is recording progress and prioritization. When you write about your goals each day, you reaffirm they are worth achieving. You might find the goal needs to be altered.

• Have you ever set a goal and then forgot all about it after a few days or a couple of weeks? If you write it down in a journal, there will be less chance that will happen.

• Record the progress you are making towards your goals. Make notes about new ideas to move closer to your goals. Make notes of what worked and what did not work to help you with future goals.

• Once you achieve a goal, you will be able to look back and remember how great it felt to accomplish it. Your next goal will be even easier.

5. A journal will reduce the amount of stress in your life. Journaling forces you to disconnect and focus your mind. Sometimes the best thing for a stressed mind is to turn off the computer, remove all distractions and sit quietly with your thoughts.

• When you record your trials, your brain starts looking for solutions. Finding a solution to a challenge relieves stress!

Consider keeping a journal for yourself and your children. The benefits are significant. You do not have to spend more than a few minutes per day. Encourage your children to keep journals as well. Journaling is a great tool with many possibilities. A pen and notebook are the only items required.

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But what if you could become more connected with your own experiences? You would enjoy life more, feel happier and more content.  You would have more control over your life. By living consciously, you can get back your life!

Decide now to live more consciously.

What Does it Mean to Live Consciously?

Living consciously involves taking back control over your life. Rather than doing something robotically and with no real thought, you will consider what you want to do and how you want to go about it.

Living consciously means you see the people you wish to see and take part in the activities you chose. When you live consciously, you think about what you want to eat and how you want to spend your free time. You discover true freedom of choice.

Living Consciously in Everyday Life

Living consciously ensures you will have a more fulfilling life. You are in the driver’s seat. Yes, you still must get up in the morning, go to work, return home, and eat, but now you give yourself more possibilities to choose from in how you go about it.  

When you live consciously, you can vary your daily routines or add something that makes them a little more interesting:

• Get up 15 minutes earlier a few times a week to do that exercise DVD you have been wanting to get to.
  
• Instead of eating cold cereal every day, mix up your routine by having a piece of fresh fruit and some hot oatmeal or anything else you might want.

• Energize your evenings by taking a walk after dinner, having a rousing discussion with your partner about something funny from the day, or playing with your kids or pets.

Work

At work, talk to the boss about that project you have really wanted to do. You will stimulate your interests and experience the satisfaction that comes with deliberately working on projects you desire to do.

As you do your routine tasks, focus on what you are doing. Are you doing your best? Have you considered more effective, timesaving methods for the tasks or projects at your job? The more you concentrate on what you are doing, the more you can endeavor to excel at the job.

Living consciously at work can win you promotions.

Free Time

In the evening at home, think about what you truly want to do. Maybe you want to hang out with the guys in your neighbor’s garage for an hour. Or do you have a hobby you enjoy that you have not been able to spend any time on?

Thinking consciously allows you to discover that you have the control in your life to do whatever it is that brings you joy, pleasure, and contentment.

Putting It All Together

To live consciously is to stop wasting time doing activities you are not really interested in. When you make a personal vow to live consciously, you are opening the door to a new, more joyous existence.

• What do you want to truly pursue?
• With whom do you choose to spend time?
• How can you spend leisure time in ways that revitalize you and bring special joy?
• How can you become more psychologically engaged in your work to increase your performance?
• Are you taking care of your physical self the way you want and obtaining the results you desire?

Your answers to these questions will lead you down the path of conscious living.

Take the first step in your journey toward reclaiming your life today. Say to yourself: “I will live consciously every moment of this day.” Repeat it every morning and embrace the joys of creating the life you desire.

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The post Can Meditation Really Help to Reduce the Pressures of Everyday Life? appeared first on Calm and Natural.

Outer Practices

1. Breathe deep. Engaging with your breath is a practice you can do anywhere. Pay attention to each inhalation and exhalation. You’ll feel stronger and calmer.
2. Do yoga. Yoga connects your mind, body, and breath. As a bonus, down dog and other poses will open up your hips so you can sit more comfortably if you decide to meditate later.
3. Relax your muscles. Progressive relaxation facilitates awareness, as well as sleep. Scan your body from head to foot. Systematically tense and release each muscle.
4. Arrange flowers. Ikebana was originally used to create shrine offerings, but you can use it to connect with nature and express yourself. Take a class or pick up a book at the library to learn about the techniques.
5. Learn martial arts. Karate and other martial arts involve much more than fighting. Regardless of what you’ve seen in the movies, building your character is more important than chopping blocks of wood by hand.
6. Drink tea. Tea ceremonies are another tradition to encourage mindfulness. If you’re doing this at home, try giving your full attention to any food or drink.
7. Play Go. The board game Go looks a little like chess with black and white marbles. Have fun while you’re learning about concepts like causation and interdependence.

Inner Mindfulness Practices

1. Slow down. Moving deliberately promotes mindfulness. Consider the purpose behind your daily activities. Take time to enjoy life instead of rushing from one activity to another.
2. Give your full attention to one task at a time. Turn off your phone when you’re having dinner with your family. Listen closely to ordinary conversations and falling rain.
3. Let go of judgements. Accept your thoughts, feelings, and experiences without guilt or shame. Love yourself for who you are now. Take pleasure in learning and growing. Forgive yourself and others for disappointments and mistakes.
4. Live in the present. Concentrate on today rather than regretting the past or worrying about the future. Take pleasure in ordinary things like the smell of coffee or the texture of soft cotton sheets.

Making Meditation Easier

1. Keep it brief. You may be reluctant to meditate because you tried to do too much too soon. Sit down for a few minutes at first and increase your time gradually.
2. Walk and stretch. If your knees ache when you sit too long, you can meditate on your feet. Walk around your living room or back yard. Take small steps and notice how your feet make contact with the ground.
3. Manage stress. Does meditation stir up troubling emotions for you? It’s natural to feel uneasy at times during your practice when you’re facing thoughts that you may usually keep under wraps. Remember that you’re making progress each time you accept the truth and find a way to deal with it.

You don’t have to miss out on the benefits of mindfulness just because you’re uncomfortable sitting for long periods or troubled by disturbing thoughts. Your morning commute or a formal tea ceremony can also be occasions to connect with the here and now.

The post 11 Ways to Practice Mindfullness Without Meditating appeared first on Calm and Natural.

• Restless sleep
• A racing mind
• Low energy
• Feeling irritable
• Feeing defensive
• Getting angry easier
• Panic attacks
• Constant panic
• Headaches, body aches, migraines
• Jaw pain from clenching teeth
• Tight shoulders and back pain
• Depression

As you can see, trying to keep everything on your mind leads to all kinds of problems, resulting in lower productivity and even worse things. We might even feel guilty if we forget to worry about something. Do you ever do that? You’ll finally get absorbed in something and it feels really nice, but then you remember all the things that aren’t resolved, and you feel guilty for letting yourself have a few minutes. But you need those minutes! Being mindful and present will allow you to get absorbed in what you’re doing, give it your full attention so you can do better, and you’ll feel more clear and mentally energized. Your body and brain wasn’t made to handle constant stress. It’s so much healthier to be present and put aside the other pressing thoughts. Challenge yourself to be mindful in one activity a day: a walk, mediation, making a craft, writing, drawing, singing, or something else you enjoy. See how it feels to let yourself be fully present with that one thing and not having thoughts about anything else. And then see how you feel the rest of the day. Click Here To Discover 7 Minute Mindfulness 2. Mindfulness creates better health Being mindful and present lowers our stress levels and also centers us, bringing many health benefits. You might notice that you’re calmer after practicing mindfulness, your head feels more clear and focused, you’re more productive, and more alert. Being mindful greatly benefits your mind, and that in turn benefits your body and overall health. People who practice being mindful have higher brain function, an increased immune function, lower blood pressure, lower anxiety levels, and are more calm. We’ve heard this for years, but experts were talking about meditation and yoga. Both of those are ways to be mindful! 3. Mindfulness decreases depression symptoms When you decrease stress and improve your health, that can help with depression. Mindfulness does that and more. It’s been considered an effective part of overall depression treatment for a long time. Being mindful often helps people see and acknowledge their feelings, and that leads to better coping. Being mindful and let you say, “I see that I’m feeling that way, and that’s okay.” Being mindful engages the observant self, so you can notice how you’re feeling, and what you’re thinking, but not get completely sucked into those feelings. You can step back and analyze the situation better. 4. Mindfulness increases Neuroplasticity Neuroplasticity is one of those fun words (in my opinion) that show you what they mean. Neuro, or brain, plus plasticity, or being flexible. Think about how plastic can be soft and pliable. Being mindful helps your brain increase its ability to change and adapt, which is pretty important to our survival even though we’re not back in the caveman era. In a simple sense, neuroplasticity refers to how our brain grows, learns, and changes. When we change our mind or learn new things, we actually make new pathways. But this has bigger scientific implications. When someone has a stroke and has to relearn how to walk, they’re actually learning how to re-circuit their brain around the damaged area. Imagine how much stronger your brain will be if you practice mindfulness and therefore improve neuroplasticity. That’s a huge advantage for dealing with all of life’s curves and for any brain damage you might suffer. 5. Mindfulness helps you deal with illness Studies have found that mindfulness helps people with cancer and people with chronic illness-even terminal illness. I can see why being in the moment more would help someone enjoy life day by day. Research has found that mindfulness helps cancer patients reduce stress while relieving fatigue. For many, mindfulness increases our spirituality and sense of purpose, and it helps people handle their emotions regarding their illness. Mindfulness can greatly improve life for people with chronic pain, such as low back pain. It helps patients focus on something other than the pain. 6. Mindfulness helps recovery We’ve seen all the ways mindfulness benefits our mental and emotional health. It also helps us physically when we need to recover from illness. This is probably due to all the other benefits of being mindful. We have better focus, we’re less stressed, we feel more at peace, and so we’re happier. We’ve talked about some big areas where mindfulness helps. To zoom in a bit, here’s a list of more specific ways that being mindful improves our lives:

• Better mental health
• Less stress at work
• Better emotional regulation
• Less problems with alcohol and drugs
• Less depression and anxiety
• Better performance at school and work
• Better relationships
• Better self awareness
• Less burnout
• Better able to cope with ups and downs
• More resilience

We’re just healthier when we’re more mindful, because people aren’t really made to multitask 5 things all day long and always worry. We can benefit from slowing down and enjoying the present moment. Why let other things detract from what you’re doing? You can give those other things your attention in due time. For the ULTIMATE experience of mindfulness, I highly recommend that you check out 7 Minute Mindfulness ⇦ [Link this text via your affiliate link]

This method will make your mind as calm as water…

I’m talking about a method that will allow you to sink into relaxation, and feel abundantly positive and happy within minutes…

It will fill your life with joy and satisfaction…

And teach you how to easily defeat any life problems that you may be facing.

And it only takes 7 minutes!

Follow this link: 7 Minute Mindfulness 

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