Mindfulness Minute

We often bring invisible expectations to the table that we only become aware of when we get frustrated. Check in with yourself to figure out what they are.

Sometimes, you have to be your own voice of encouragement. We all begin by making mistakes and being a beginner.

When you're trying something new or attempting to be creative, stop letting unnecessary expectations get in the way. Let yourself go, have fun, enjoy the experience. 

If a friendship or relationship ends, it's not all on you. Once you reach the point of doing everything you could, you have to let it go. It's not your fault.

We can put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be liked by everyone. But some people, no matter how much we try, will dislike us for their own reasons. And that's just part of life amongst people.

Sometimes we feel a lot in very little time. But feelings can change and evolve. And so can our perspective on the situation. Let it change.

You're not going to like everyone, nor will you like everything about everyone. And that's actually ok. 

We don't have to struggle with our inner questions alone. Sometimes, even if we're unsure they have insights, the people around us can share perspectives that can help us in creative, non-linear ways.

There's never going to be a good time to pause. Life always has more tasks waiting for us. It's up to us to take that five second pause anyways. Not cause there's time for it but because we need it.

When people make mistakes, it helps to try to understand them. So when we make mistakes, even when we saw it coming, it helps to try and understand ourselves instead of immediately jumping to self-guilt and shame.

You deserve support. People want to support you. Challenge the voice that says you need to suffer alone.

Part of chaos is emotional. But part of it is also cognitive. By adding gentle structures such as mood journaling, you can start to see patterns in the chaos that help you see the bigger picture.

Yesterday's you had their flaws too. So does today's you. But you gotta take care of today's you now.

When we're trying to decide whether or not we should do something, we often fall into the trap of only considering the impact this action would have, but not the meaning it would hold for us.

The value of just giving things time can't be overstated.

We don't always have the time or bandwidth for complicated gratitude rituals - sometimes just remembering one tiny thing that delights us is enough.

Having a bad day? Remember a moment where you laughed. Like, really laughed. It'll help you feel a bit lighter.

Being human is hard. Some days are easier than others. Some worse.  Fundamentally though, it's a lot of work.  So cut yourself some slack.

Hopelessness or hopeful - how you are feeling is a reflection of how you see yourself and the world around you.

We don't stay the same. But we often expect ourselves to. 

Before we even start the day, we're bringing thoughts, emotions and expectations with us. It's important to bring awareness to these elements so we can care for ourselves throughout the day, better.

Don't shun the parts of you that you don't like - try to understand them, with patients. It's hard but needs to be done.

Never forget that a single moment or story is never enough to explain what's happening with someone. Including yourself.

Choose rest instead of running on empty. It's impossible to be mindful without being well-rested.

More often than not, the ways in which life is hard for one person is invisible to another - in the same way, we may not be aware of what is truly impacting us and why.