MINDFULNESS AS A GROWTH OPPORTUNITY
Mindfulness is a great tool when things are chaotic and harsh. It helps us to connect with ourselves and the present, making us feel more grounded despite the chaotic situation. But what about when things are going great? Should you practice mindfulness then too?
Practicing Mindfulness When Things Are Good
It can be incredibly easy to forget about your mindfulness training whenever the chaotic and harsh situations abide, but it is important to practice mindfulness during these times, nonetheless.
If you practice mindfulness even on the good days, you will become better and better at mindful thinking. As a result, you will already know the tools and tricks to help you become grounded during the bad days as well.
Let us consider a sports analogy. Even the most athletic and capable athletes practice and prepare for a big game or meet. In fact, it is their practice that allows them to win and continually perform well.
Being mindful on good days is like an athlete’s practice or training: it teaches you what you want to feel like and prepares you for the bad days. This then allows you to be mindful on bad days, too, even when it is hard.
Growing To Become More Resilient
If you practice mindfulness all the time, you will be more able to handle tough situations whenever they come about. This should cause you to view mindfulness training as a growth opportunity regardless of the point of life you may find yourself in.
Studies show that mindfulness increases one's resilience, which is the ability to bounce back from harsh situations. As you become more resilient, you grow and learn how to tackle all of life’s challenges. This makes resilience one of the greatest markers for personal growth.
If you are not resilient, it is impossible to overcome challenges and adversity. Resilience should be one of the most important personal attributes to grow and nourish since you simply will not succeed without it.
Becoming More Resilient
There are four main areas that we need to focus on to become more resilient. All of these areas benefit from mindfulness training, so be sure to focus on these areas when being mindful.
1. Compassion
Become more resilient by being compassionate to yourself and others. Although you need to hold yourself accountable for your own actions, be kind, supportive, and compassionate to yourself. Do not say anything to yourself that you would not say to a friend.
As you become more compassionate to yourself, you will also find that you are more compassionate to others as well.
2. Acceptance
Accept facts as they come and distinguish them from feelings. Accepting a fact is not giving up. Instead, it is giving yourself a healthy perspective so you can deal with it actively, appropriately, and healthily.
3. Openness
Becoming resilient involves being open to new ideas and perspectives. Use your mindfulness training to get outside your comfort zone and be more open to new ideas, perspectives, and techniques for tackling all of life's problems. Ask yourself where your comfort zones lie and figure out why they lie there.
4. Creativity
Once you are open to new ideas, you need to be creative enough to visualize and execute the results you want. View your life as a journey, not a fixed point, that requires constant reworking and visualization. Use your creativity to create your ideal life.
Recap
Treat the good days as training days by practicing mindfulness no matter what. Being mindful on the good days will give you the emotional skills and endurance to become resilient and tackle chaotic days more efficiently. Incorporate compassion, acceptance, openness, and creativity into these practices to further boost your resilience and growth.