O amor acredita-se no supérfluo: quem ama pouco, contenta-se com o que basta: quem ama muito, contenta-se com o que sobeja; e quem ama mais que muito, nem com o que basta nem com o que sobeja se contenta, ainda sobe mais, ainda passa mais adiante
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sexta-feira, setembro 11, 2015
Pamuk, Orhan
Pode não acontecer no primeiro instante, mas no espaço de dez minutos em que conhece um homem, uma mulher fica com uma ideia clara de quem ele é, ou pelo menos de como é que será para ela, e o seu coração de copas já lhe disse se ela vai ou não cair de amores por ele.
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La Rochefoucauld, François
Um homem a quem ninguém agrada é bem mais infeliz do que aquele que não agrada a ninguém
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Rushdie, Salman
Tema: Escrita
O que um escritor pode fazer na solidão do seu quarto é algo que nenhum poder consegue destruir facilmente
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O que um escritor pode fazer na solidão do seu quarto é algo que nenhum poder consegue destruir facilmente
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D. Manuel II
Tema: Livro
Os livros são os melhores amigos, mas são silenciosos, o que é uma das suas grandes vantagens.
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Os livros são os melhores amigos, mas são silenciosos, o que é uma das suas grandes vantagens.
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Cury, Augusto
A felicidade tem muitas filhas e filhos: o amor, a tranquilidade, a sabedoria, a alegria, a paciência, a tolerância, a solidariedade, o perdão, a perseverança, o domínio próprio, a bondade, a autoestima. Nunca se viu uma família tão unida!
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Giroud, Françoise
Creio que a felicidade existe. A prova está em que, de repente, ela não existe
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15 Powerful Online Apps to Change the Way You Approach Student Life
Back to school time! Soon enough, you will be occupied with classes, academic projects, exams, and of course, a social life. That’s completely fine as this academic year you will have a perfect chance to make yourself more effective in every aspect of your life. There are so many powerful online applications you can use to change the way you approach student life.
You probably own a smartphone and tablet, so you should try to use the potential they offer. Below, you’ll find a collection of 15 apps that will change the way you deal with the daily struggles and joys of student life.
Apps that Change the Way You Study
1.iStudiez Pro
Are you prone to procrastination? It’s time to start using iStudiez Pro – an app that enables you to organize your courses, assignment deadlines, and exam schedule. You can organize your entire homework within a single app, as well as up to five courses with the free version.
2.iTunes University
This app enables you to learn anything you want. You might even locate the exact course materials for your school, so you’ll save tons of money on textbooks. In any case, you will find great content for the courses you attend, so you can boost your knowledge through textual, video and audio studying material.
3.Google Keep
This pin-board app enables you to organize photos, lists, and notes on a sleek homepage that you can access on any Android device. You can also speak a voice memo; Google Keep will automatically transcribe it. You are not an Android user? No problem; you can use the online version of the app!
4.Quizlet
This popular study tool provides millions of flashcards sets, so you’ll find materials on any topic you can imagine. You can also create your own sets and share them with the community. The flashcards can be empowered with audio and images, so you’ll enhance your ability to remember the information.
5.Coursera
Every student should start using Coursera! This project enables you to access awesome courses from the world’s top universities. For free! You can learn from the most reputable professors and understand the most complex concepts with ease.
6.Brainscape
You think you’re too old for flashcards? Nope, this studying method is still the most effective one when it comes to memorizing tons of facts in the shortest time possible. With Brainscape, you can create your own sets of flashcards, but you can also download pre-made sets that save you tons of time.
Apps that Change the Way You Organize Your Time
7.MyScript
You still like taking notes by hand, but you don’t want to bother with notebooks and pens? MyScript is your type of app! It enables you to write down notes when you study, but you can also use it during class. The best part is that you can edit your handwriting, use a drawing mode, adjust the palm fest, add math equations, and do much more!
8. Wiggio
This application is made for group work. Once you get over your internal eye rolls at the assignment of a group project, take charge of your assignment by making use of this application that allows you to conduct virtual meetings, create task lists, and share files. You won’t miss a group deadline ever again with this app on your side.
9.Listatic
This tool enables you to create shareable lists. Thus, it’s perfect for completing team projects on time. You can use the simple interface to create any daily list, so it will also serve you well for planning your daily purchases and social events.
10. Todoist
Forget about Evernote; it’s too complicated with its functions that you never use. With Todoist, you can bookmark important web pages, set reminders, and track assignment deadlines.
Apps that Boost Your Focus and Productivity
11. 30/30
Your to-do list is too busy and hard to manage? Use this online app that enables you to plan the length of time for each task on your list. Manage your writing tasks and plan ahead, keeping up with the strict deadlines and syllabus requirements.
12. Focus Booster
Your brain cannot work non-stop; you need to arrange the work according to its productivity levels. Focus Booster works according to the Pomodoro technique: it reminds you to take short breaks after each distraction-free working session.
Apps that Change the Way You Complete Academic Projects
13. Mind42
Mind42 is a fast and simple mind-mapping tool. It enables you to jot down early ideas and develop them into more complex plans. Start every academic project with a Mind42 map that you’ll develop as you progress, and soon you’ll notice that you’re becoming a more successful student.
14. Prezi
You need to create a presentation for class? Forget about the plain old PowerPoint; Prezi is much better! You can work on the project from any device and make it really appealing with graphics and surprises that will keep the viewers entertained. I suggest using the pre-made templates as you get used to the program.
15. Sugar Sync
This multi-functional platform enables you to create documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and diagrams. Your projects will be safely kept in the cloud, so you can access them from any device connected to the Internet. You’ll save tons of space on your computer and your work will become much simpler when you start using great alternative to Google Drive!
Do you use any other apps that make your life as a student easier? Share your recommendations, but don’t forget to try the tools listed above!
Featured photo credit: Matylda Czarnecka via flickr.com
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10 Reasons You Should Write More Handwritten Letters
1. It’s a memorable way to touch the people you love.
A thoughtful letter can be treasured for years. Visit just about any history museum and you’ll be struck by the impact a letter can have. Countless possessions throughout history have decayed into dust, but fragile pieces of paper have been protected for generations because powerful words are worth reading again and again.
2. Research says it can actually make you happier.
Steve Toepfer from Kent State University studies “author benefits” – the perks you get from penning letters. Toepher says by making a habit of writing thoughtful letters of gratitude, “you’ll feel happier, you’ll feel more satisfied, and if you’re suffering from depressive symptoms, your symptoms will decrease.” This isn’t as strange as it sounds. Telling your friends how much you appreciate them helps you count your blessings and notice some of the beauty in your life.
3. It confirms the importance of a relationship.
Taking the time to send a thoughtful note shows you cherish a relationship and want to invest in it. This can not only strengthen a friendship or a marriage, it’s also a clever way to grow loyalty with clients and business partners.
4. It’s a classy thing to do.
We write to remind people they’re special; but let’s face it, letters make us look pretty special too. Handwritten letters are a classy friend’s game. Set yourself apart as a lady or gentleman by sticking a stamp to your words of encouragement.
5. It helps you pause long enough to say things that matter.
Texting and email are mostly reactionary. You need information, so you reach out. Writing letters is much more deliberate. You do it to give, not to receive. You write because there’s something you need to say, not something you need to know.
6. It creates a wonderful surprise.
Remember when getting mail was fun? You never knew what you might find. Now, it’s mostly a pile of bills and junk. You can be the girl who rescues her friends from the drudgery of modern mail! Put something fun in their mailbox and you just might make their day.
7. It’s a tried and true tradition.
When you send handwritten letters, you’re participating in one of history’s finest rituals. Martin Luther King, Jr’s “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” captured the spirit of the American Civil Rights Movement. Major Sullivan Ballou’s letter to Sarah revealed the conflicted emotions of a soldier who loved his country and a husband who loved his wife. It’s even said that a letter from a young girl convinced U.S. President Abraham Lincoln to grow his iconic beard. Our ancestors recognized the importance of writing letters, and so should we.
8. It speaks to older friends and relatives in a medium they cherish.
To some young people, mail can seem outdated or boring; but for mature generations, it’s a tradition rich in sentiment. Even if your older relatives know how to text, they still love slicing open a handwritten letter.
9. It’s a chance to show off (or improve) your handwriting
Most of us spent hours in school practicing our printing and cursive; but now that we’re “grown ups,” we never get to show off our skills! For you talented calligraphers, handwritten letters are your 15 minutes of fame. Or, if you’re like me, writing letters gives you a chance to improve your lovable scribbling.
10. It’s easier than you think.
Well-written cards can be some of the least expensive and most meaningful gifts you will ever give. With a few strokes of the pen, you have the power to encourage a loved one, inspire a friend, or kindle a romance. The hardest part is getting started, so let’s make it simple. Who do you appreciate most in life? If you could only speak to them one more time, what would you tell them? Write that down right now. Don’t worry about penmanship. Afterwards, all you’ll need to do is find the right card, transcribe your message, slap on a stamp, and remind that bored little flag on your mailbox that it was made for a purpose.
Featured photo credit: Handwritten Letters/Kelsi Laine via kelsilaine.com
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Eight Proven Tips to Stop Feeling Stressed Out, Overwhelmed & Totally Exhausted
Are you one in five people that feel anxious all of the time or a lot of time? A 2014 survey of Mental Awareness Week in UK shows only one in twenty people never feel anxious. According to Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA), women are more likely to feel anxious than men. Wait, there’s more! One-fifth of people who have experienced anxiety do nothing to cope with it. Comfort eating is used by a quarter of those who suffer with feelings of anxiety, and women and children are more likely to use this way of coping.
Is that normal?
We accept these feelings as a part and parcel of our fast paced digital lives. As we go about our routines, we brush these little pesky feelings as a one-off and accept the signs as bad habits, tiredness, sugar cravings, or poor sleep, only to cause further damage in terms of confidence, relationships, health and our lives.
Anxiety is a very real and unpleasant physiological condition and not one that we can brush off. It is created by over-stimulation of the adrenal glands. Adrenal glands are tiny organs sitting just above the kidneys and secrete hormones including cortisol and adrenaline. They produce the hormones Pregnenolone (the Mother Hormone), DHEA, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, cortisol and epinephrine (adrenaline). The adrenal glands are your body’s first line of defense against the stresses of daily living – they give orders to the reproductive organs, play a role in thyroid function and metabolism and regulate the fight-or-flight stress response.
Cortisol is the main stress hormone made in your adrenal glands and it’s designed to get you out of danger. When you’re in a stressful situation, you feel the positive effects of cortisol – the rise of energy, the sharp focus, the charge.
Cortisol has 3 main jobs: raise blood sugar (to feed muscles so you can run or fight), raise blood pressure, and modulate immune function.
There are two key points about a healthy stress response that need to be emphasized: first, it takes priority over all other metabolic functions in the body and second, it wasn’t designed to last very long.
Our ancestors used this response to escape life-threatening situations, like fleeing from wooly mammoths. Their adrenals would release adrenaline and cortisol which would immediately increase their heart rate and blood pressure, release energy stores for immediate use, shut down digestion and other secondary functions, and sharpen their senses. Thousands of years later, our bodies still respond the same way, except nowadays we are not running away from anything. In the past there would be acute moments of stress followed by periods of rest, but today we are in a constant state of less-threatening but chronic stress – tight deadlines, a mean boss, bills, demanding partner, your teen hanging with the wrong crowd – the list goes on…
If this were to happen once or twice a month it would be okay, but for most of us it happens every single day with absolutely no let-up. This eventually leads to what is known as the “cortisol switch,” where your body not only recognizes the positive aspects of cortisol but starts recognizing the negative aspects of cortisol too.
Example: You drink a cup of coffee and feel like a rock star for 30 minutes. Ready to take on the world! Then you hit a wall and get all anxious and jittery. Your blood sugar drops and you begin to feel heavy and deflated.
If you have been stressed for several months or years, you probably have chronically elevated blood cortisol levels. Cortisol promotes abdominal weight gain, cravings, and makes weight loss very difficult. High cortisol suppresses your immune system. If your cortisol has been cranked up for a long time, there usually comes a point when your adrenal glands simply can’t pump out enough cortisol anymore; they become exhausted. This stress and total burn out of adrenal glands is known as Adrenal Fatigue or Dysfunction.
How do you identify adrenal exhaustion?
Feeling tired but wired
Not feeling rested after a night’s sleep
Light, broken sleep
Strong cravings for sugar and/or salt
Feeling overwhelmed like you cannot cope with what life throws at you
Feeling tired in the morning but getting a burst of energy anywhere between 4:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Poor memory, brain fog and lack of concentration
Weakened immunity and recurring infections
If the adrenals are constantly over-worked, the entire endocrine system becomes deficient and stops functioning properly. This is why the food you eat and proper stress management is crucial to begin healing your hormonal imbalances. Once your adrenal function is restored, cortisol production is reduced and your adrenals resume normal function and production of hormones.
Sadly, many in the conventional medical world do not acknowledge adrenal conditions unless they are severe diseases such as Cushing’s syndrome (excess cortisol) or Addison’s disease (severe lack of cortisol usually caused by autoimmune disease). Milder forms of adrenal imbalance can definitely impair the quality of your life and produce quite severe symptoms. The first step is to get yourself tested. You are supposed to have higher cortisol in the morning and lower levels in the evening, but this pattern is often reverse in people with imbalanced adrenals.
How to treat adrenal exhaustion?
1. Try to get adequate sleep. People with adrenal fatigue often have poor quality sleep. Your adrenals will greatly benefit if you can unplug and get in bed by 10:30 p.m. The hours before midnight are more restorative to your body.
2. Try to reduce the stress in your life or look for more effective ways of dealing with it. Make self care non-negotiable. Massage, meditation, yoga, counseling, reading, or going for a walk are some ways you can unwind.
3. Steer clear of stimulants. I have nothing against caffeine, but people with adrenal fatigue should really eliminate it out of their diet. It is also best to keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum, especially before bed. It can help you feel drowsy, but it does reduce the quality of your sleep.
4. Minimise your salt and sugar intake. If you often crave these foods in order to keep you going, try to indulge in healthier versions instead. Try swapping a packet of crackers with some olives instead. When it comes to sugar, small amounts of fresh dates, manuka honey or maple syrup are healthier alternatives. These foods are so intense in flavor, that you only need small amounts to appease a sweet tooth. As your energy levels improve, you will stop having these cravings.
5. Make sure you eat enough protein and good fats. This will help to keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day, reducing the energy slumps caused by a blood sugar crash.
6. Most of the Vitamin C in your body is stored in your adrenal glands. Your adrenal glands will struggle to function if you don’t consume enough Vitamin C, so be sure to get a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
7. Magnesium is calming to the muscular and nervous systems and it allows the adrenals to repair themselves. Taking some magnesium before bed should also help improve your sleep quality.
8. Find out if you have a food allergy or intolerance. Eating foods that your body cannot tolerate is a major physical stress on your body. You may need a nutritionist’s help in uncovering hidden food sensitivities.
Repairing and nourishing these tiny glands would not only protect you from chronic illnesses, but also improve your mood and anxiety. Remember there’s an important difference between giving up and letting go. So let go of the stress. Take the first step with mindful eating.
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Strategies I’m Using to Stay Fit While Traveling
I believe that we are meant to live physical lives, which is why I love training, weightlifting, and athletic competition. However, I also believe that we are meant to explore the world around us, which is why I love adventure, photography, and travel.
Balancing these two passions can be a struggle sometimes. Eating healthy and getting to the gym is easier when you’re at home, but harder on the road.
I’m still learning and experimenting with different ideas, but here are some strategies I’ve been using to stay fit while traveling. Plus, the new approach that I’m taking this year.
1. Do what you can, when you can.
I think the simplest approach is to fit training in whenever you can. When all else fails, you can always resort to this strategy.
Example 1: After 14 hours of flying and a 9-hour time change, I landed in Russia and made it to my hotel late at night. I was exhausted, but decided to do a 10-minute pushup workout before melting into the pillow. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.
Example 2: When I was on the road in the Midwest, I spent 20 minutes doing sprints in the parking lot of an apartment complex. (And a particularly interested inhabitant came out on his balcony and cheered me on.) Again, not much, but I think it was worth it.
You get the idea.
I think the most important part of this strategy is learning to not care what other people think about you. When travel restricts your options, sometimes you have to train in strange places. If you can learn to not care what you look like, then you can always find a way to do some push-ups in your hotel room, toss in a set of pull-ups on a nearby tree branch, or go for a short run in the parking lot.
2. Train with the locals.
It doesn’t always work, but if you have friends or friends-of-friends in the place you are visiting, then this can be a perfect solution. They can take you as a guest to their gym or you can meet up for a training session. As an added bonus, you get to hang out with a friend.
3. Make hard choices.
I spent a week exploring Italy (photos here) before heading to the fantastic St. Gallen Symposium in Switzerland. By the end of the week, I was itching for some exercise. However, I also needed to catch up on sleep since there was a speaker I wanted to hear leading a session at the symposium the next morning.
Something had to give.
I decided to sleep, exercise in the morning, and go to the symposium an hour late. I missed a great speaker, but after the workout and some rest I was in better spirits for the rest of symposium. It was a hard choice, but I don’t regret it at all.
There are constraints and limitations that happen every day of our lives. They just seem to be especially apparent while traveling. Training on the road isn’t magically going to be easy. Your time and options are limited, so sometimes you have to make a hard choice and miss out on something else.
4. Schedule your travel during an “off week” for training.
This is my latest and greatest approach and I’ll be trying it out for the next 12 months. Essentially, I’m scheduling my travel to happen during a planned “off week” in my training. My thought is that if I travel for 6 weeks of the year, but train consistently for the other 46 weeks, then I’ll be able to have the best of both worlds.
Currently, I’m training on cycles that are approximately 8 to 10 weeks. After each cycle, I’m planning to take an off week from training that usually lasts 5 to 10 days. During this time, I give myself a free pass on lifting while I spend a few days diving into travel, adventure, and photography.
I realize that many people don’t have this kind of flexibility with their travel plans. In fact, I didn’t have this much flexibility myself until very recently. Creating freedom in my life has been one of the main driving forces of my entrepreneurial career and now I’m fortunate enough to have it.
Here’s what this strategy looks like in practice:
My latest training cycle started after Thanksgiving of last year. I trained for nine weeks from the beginning of December through the end of January. I then spent my off week traveling through Morocco (photo essay coming soon!).
During this “off week” I did a lot of walking, hiking, and exploring around different cities to take photos. It was definitely a week of active rest. I didn’t touch any weights, do any push-ups, or run any sprints. I just walked, and ate, and took thousands of photos. It was a great creative break. I’m hoping that it will be a good physical break as well, setting me up for the next phase of training.
The only real answer is the one that works for you.
Obviously, these strategies aren’t the absolute answer. I’ve said many times before that I don’t have it all figured out. I’m just experimenting with ideas and seeing what works for me.
As an entrepreneur, my schedule is more flexible than usual. As a photographer, my mission when I travel (to capture the essence of a place) is different from what many people have in mind when they travel. In other words, while these strategies work for me, they may not be a perfect fit for your lifestyle or your mission. That’s fine. Take the ideas that work and leave the rest.
No matter what you do, keep training and keep exploring.
James Clear writes at JamesClear.com, where he shares science-based ideas for living a better life and building habits that stick. To get strategies for boosting your mental and physical performance by 10x, join his free newsletter.
This article was originally published on JamesClear.com.
Featured photo credit: FUMIGRAPHIK-Photographist via flickr.com
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How to Lead Like Leslie Knope From “Parks & Rec”
Parks and Recreation may have ended, but the legend of Leslie Knope still lives on. Throughout the seven seasons of NBC’s Parks & Rec, viewers got to know and love the Deputy Director of the Parks and Recreation Department, Leslie Knope. Played by Amy Poehler, Knope is perhaps the most over-eager and determined character to ever grace the television screen. It’s because of this tenacity and dedication that Leslie Knope is such an amazing leader. She may be a fictional character, but she is certainly a model to look up to and aspire to.
Here are five things you can do to be a great boss and lead like Leslie Knope.
1. Do work worth doing.
In a town as apathetic and thankless as Pawnee, Indiana, Leslie could have given up many times, but she does work worth doing. Her work is a constant source of inspiration to her, her team, and the people around her. Leslie dedicates her energies to the places where she can have the greatest impact and do the most good.
2. Be passionate about progress.
Despite a seemingly never-ending stream of ethical roadblocks along the way, Leslie never loses sight of her goals and the needs of the causes she is championing. She does things because they’re the right thing to do, not because they’re popular or easy. This is an important leadership lesson in itself. As a leader, you have to make hard choices – and people won’t necessarily like them – but if you’re passionate about progress and if your choices come from an honest place, then you’ll steer your business and your team in the right direction.
3. Think of the big picture.
If you’ve ever watched an episode of Parks and Rec, you’re well aware of the centuries-old feud between the fictional towns of Pawnee and Eagleton. Despite this deep-seated hatred, Leslie is willing to help the town of Eagleton during its time of need. She puts differences aside, reaches out, and lifts up her neighbors. Leslie acts for the common good, she thinks of the big picture and how to benefit the most people.
As a leader, it’s vital to employ this big picture thinking. Furthermore, it’s important for leaders to be charitable and to be active leaders in the community. Lead by example. Show the importance of giving where you’re able to give and helping your community. Under the direction of their generous leaders, the most successful and well-respected companies participate in community outreach programs and volunteer on a regular basis.
4. But always pay attention to the little things.
Her acute attention to detail makes Leslie the ultimate public servant and an attentive leader who truly connects with her team. Leslie is hyper-organized and detail oriented, as evidenced by her lengthy reports in thick color-coded binders on just about everything. She also a habit of giving the perfect gift for each of her fictional holidays. By paying attention to the little things, she gets to know her staff on a personal level and is able to hone in on how to motivate each of them individually. Leslie’s knack for thoroughness means she prepares lengthy reports that make a difference in the community and get noticed by the higher-ups in Washington. By paying attention to the little things, Leslie is able to be a better leader and an amazing colleague.
5. Care.
As viewers see in the show, Leslie takes on various roles. She moves on to new jobs and pursues new adventures. She knows when to move on and how to best dedicate her boundless stream of energy. No matter what hat she wears or what project she’s working on, Leslie is consistent in her efforts and in her caring. She cares about everything she does. This notion is reflected in the quality of her work. The best leaders care about every paper that crosses their desks, every phone call they make, and every person that sits in their building.
In Leslie Knope’s words, “No one achieves anything alone.” Your team will be a reflection of your leadership. Dare to care. Dare to be a Leslie Knope.
Conclusion
Do you want to know more about how you can be the best possible leader? Complete a quick and easy leadership assessment, courtesy of Orlando businessman Joel Goldstein, President of Mr. Checkout Distributors. It only takes three minutes to find out your leadership strengths!
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10 Activities You Can Do More Mindfully During Your Day
So this whole mindfulness thing has really been popular as of late. There is a simple reason for that: it works. And from personal experience, it works well.
Perhaps you want to get started, but you tell yourself, or your busy mind tells you, that you just don’t have the time to sit around and meditate during the day. My first piece of advice is to take the time to observe your mind from an outside perspective and simply be in the moment. That is what meditation is all about. But this isn’t an article about meditation.
Despite what you think, meditating is not the only way to be mindful. My next piece of advice is to be mindful in your day-to-day activities. You can experience a meditative and mindful state merely by giving complete attention and awareness to the things you are doing in the present moment.
Maybe this sounds crazy to you, but it is entirely possible. It takes a lot of practice and patience to make it happen.
How many times have you been doing something, your mind is on auto pilot, and before you know it you don’t even realize what you are doing? For many people this is a very common occurrence. It doesn’t have to be this way. By taking the time to really concentrate on what you are doing in the moment, you are being completely mindful. You are not giving into the other thoughts about the past and future that are popping in and out of your head; rather, you are content with what you are doing right now.
1. Brushing Your Teeth
Brushing your teeth is often a difficult task to be attentive to because it is often the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do in the evening. When you first wake up your mind is completely focused on the daily tasks ahead, and when you are getting ready for bed, your mind is probably focused on the events from the day or getting to sleep. Often you are half-asleep in the evening when brushing.
Really take the time to look in the mirror and focus on brushing your teeth. Perhaps you can take the time to ensure each tooth gets brushed thoroughly. Don’t just rush through this activity. Start your day off mindfully and end it mindfully.
2. Taking a Shower
Showering can be an awesome experience if you take the time to relish it. Observe the warm water against your body and how good it feels. When you lather soap, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, or whatever, notice how great it feels to get cleaned up. Don’t take this activity for granted because most people in the world don’t get a warm shower!
3. Cooking
Cooking can be a very therapeutic and mindful activity when you let go of everything else that is going on in your mind. Chopping vegetables, sautéing meat, stirring sauces, and even seasoning dishes can be done mindfully.
It is common for us to be so focused on finishing the meal that we forget to enjoy the process of making the meal. Don’t let this happen. Don’t rush through the cooking. Observe how harmonious your mind can be when you take the time to cook purposefully.
4. Eating
This is still difficult for me at times. I am so hungry at times that I can’t help myself from scarfing down the food in front of me, instead of mindfully eating it.
Put away the television and the cell phones, and give all your attention to eating. Don’t use this time as a means to get to the next activity. No, this is the current activity. Enjoy it.
Also, it is much healthier to eat mindfully. Eating slower is better for your digestion as well as your mind.
5. Driving and Sitting in Traffic
Challenging as it might be, it behooves you to drive mindfully. It is much safer for yourself and everyone on the road if you are completely attentive to driving and not ruminating over some past event.
Sitting in traffic is often a cause of rage, frustration, and general discontentment. Here’s an idea: try something different. If you usually get ticked off when sitting in traffic, try just being present with the traffic. Don’t let your mind veer you to an imagined scenario where you can’t be late or the world is going to end. Just chill. It is going to be OK. I’m not suggesting you have to be completely appreciative of the traffic, but you can find ways to enjoy yourself by being more mindful as regards to being angrier.
6. Folding Laundry
I am not a fan of folding laundry. I admit that I find it difficult to be mindful during this activity, but it is possible. Focus on every piece of laundry that you fold. Pay attention to the way you fold every shirt, pants, underwear, etc.
It is easy to do other activities while folding laundry that can distract you away from the task at hand. Try turning everything else off as you fold each piece of laundry.
7. Washing Dishes
Similar to folding laundry, give attention to each dish you wash. Don’t focus on the fact that you have a stack of dishes to wash. Concentrate on how the soap feels as you scrub away every knife, fork, spoon, etc. In an odd way it can be therapeutic as well.
8. Walking
Walking meditation is a common practice. When you are out in nature, focus on what you are seeing at the present moment. Be attentive of how your body feels as you take every step. Observe your breath, and how it changes as you walk faster and slower. Walking is an extremely effective method to adding more mindfulness to your daily life.
9. Shopping
The only time I enjoy shopping is when I can take my time and be mindful of everything I am looking it and purchasing. Too often people get in a rush when they are shopping. Shopping can be enjoyable if it is done at the proper pace and with an attentive attitude.
10. Reading
I don’t know how much can be absorbed if you don’t read mindfully, but there is a reason why people struggle to comprehend what they read. The mind likes to wander and focus on other things besides what you are reading at the moment. Give each word the full attention it deserves. Perhaps reading will become a more gratifying activity for you when you take the time to do it mindfully.
The activities that can be completed mindfully are certainly not limited to this list. You can live your entire day with mindful intention. All it takes is attention, awareness, and the intention to be as mindful as possible for each activity. As you learn to be more mindful implementing it into your daily life becomes easier.
Featured photo credit: Shannon via Joey and Ava cooking chili via Flickr via flickr.com
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