Darling, how time flies! I know that so many of us feel this way. However, there is a way to slow things down. It is called mindfulness. I’m sure you’ve heard of it by now!

A very basic example of mindfulness is this: While taking a morning walk, rather than running through your to-do list for the day or ruminating about a misunderstanding with your partner a week ago, you pay attention to the feelings in your body. You may hear the rustling of the leaves, or feel the warmth of the sunshine. Maybe you will marvel at the rainbow of flowers lining your path and the beautiful world, in general, that surrounds you. You are mindful.

Mindfulness means being actively attentive to the present moment. Mindfulness promises to allow you to enjoy each moment without letting life pass you by. You focus on the sensations of your current experience rather than dwelling on past problems or future worries.

Mindfulness Can Improve Your Relationships

Staying calm in hard times is a huge benefit of mindfulness. Especially after the year 2020!

When it comes to anger, no one seems to get us going quite as much as the people we love. This is largely because love brings us not only joy but also anxiety. We are all vulnerable, and that vulnerability can make us reactive.

Who amongst us has not experienced saying something in the heat of the moment to a loved one that we later deeply regret?

Mindfulness helps us cherish “the moment” in good times…

Practicing mindfulness allows you to enjoy fully what you are doing and not focus on the possible outcome of your activities. It may mean valuing sportsmanship and connection with your children and grands (grandchildren) rather than emphasizing a win or a loss.

Mindfulness may mean taking a swim in the pool with your grands without getting caught up in anxiety about your body or your bathing suit.

Mindfulness may mean enjoying a delicious romantic dinner with your partner without worrying about calories. You focus instead on the flavors and each bite rather than any critical voices in your head telling you what you should or should not eat.

Mindfulness enhances every joyful moment and magnifies the experience for the best.

Mindfulness Means Connecting in a Way That Makes a Significant Impact…

Perhaps one of the largest benefits of mindfulness is an enhanced ability to connect with those you love rather than responding to their words and actions from a place of judgment and criticism or fear.

Our closest relationships are wrought with misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Again, that tends to be all about vulnerability. We are never more vulnerable than with those we love the most.

There are other “fringe” benefits of mindfulness, too! Research from Brown University showed that women who took a three-month mindfulness meditation course reported feeling more aroused with their partner and becoming aroused much more quickly. Mindfulness is perfect for adding spice back into your marriage!

Are you familiar with mindfulness? Do you practice mindfulness? Has it enhanced your relationships? Do tell! Share your comments below!