5 Awe-inspiring Ways Practicing Mindfulness Changed My Life

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Where are you at with practicing mindfulness?

Have you heard about it but aren’t sure what all the fuss is about?

Maybe you know a few people who’ve benefited from it and you’re curious about it. 

Or, maybe you’re a pro, and what I share in this post won’t come as a surprise to you.

Before I give you a look into my mindfulness journey and how it’s impacted my life, let’s clear up two things first: (1) how this post is the be used and (2) understanding mindfulness!

The following is for informational and educational purposes only. This post shares my experiences and is not intended to be used as medical advice. Check out my disclaimer for more info.

What exactly is mindfulness?

When I first heard about mindfulness, I thought it was another word for meditation. But practicing mindfulness is actually “maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens,” according to the Greater Good Magazine.

For example, instead of running through your to-do list on your drive to drop the kids off at school, bring your attention to the tiny details around you: the feel of the steering wheel under your fingers, the cool breeze coming in through the cracked window, or the soft humming of your daughter’s voice from the backseat. 

Now that you can imagine that moment, rather than racing through your mile-long to-do list, consider how that awareness of the present moment could change your life. 

What would happen if you could quiet all the thoughts in your head?

Or notice your breath?

You may be surprised how powerful little actions like those can be.

Why did I start practicing mindfulness anyway?

In 2016 I visited a therapist for my depression, anxiety, and PTSD. She recommended practicing mindfulness for anxiety. I was apprehensive. Being a mom of three, I was busy and didn’t want one more thing to add to my already full plate.

But mindfulness became crucial to surviving my busy life and my anxiety. And looking back, I’m not sure how I lived without mindfulness in my life.

5 Awe-inspiring Ways Mindfulness Changed My Life

Saying mindfulness helped my anxiety doesn’t cut it. It’s too vague. Too broad. And when I research how mindfulness impacts others’ lives, I want specifics. So I won’t give you anything less! 

Here’s how practicing mindfulness changed my life.

1. I am victorious in achieving rest.

My to-do list never sleeps, but now, I do! When we’re anxious or have lots that went undone during the day, turning our brains off in favor of sleep isn’t exactly appealing.

But being mindful of my body and mind’s needs when those late-night hours roll around alerts me that I need to recharge. And allows me to give myself permission to rest. Feelings of anxiety, for me anyway, are harder to turn off. So on those nights, mindfulness exercises help me settle into sleep.

I start by rubbing my hands with lavender lotion or putting a lavender pillow spray on my bed before laying down. I lay on my back because I’m more aware of my whole body during the mindfulness exercises. I usually put my arms to my sides with my palms facing up and try to slow my breath. When I fall asleep peacefully like this, I wake up feeling less anxious (even if I wake in the middle of the night with one of the kids).

Thanks to mindfulness, I’ve found I’m really good at sleeping! I used to lay awake and toss and turn all night, but mindfulness has even shown results on my Fitbit’s sleep log! I have fewer periods of restlessness.

2. I live in the moment—and it’s wondrous.

There are countless times I put my head down at night and realize I wasn’t really with the people I love or in the moment we were in. For example, I meant to listen to my son talk about his day while I made dinner, but instead, I thought about all the things I need to get ready for basketball practice in an hour. So I can’t recall what my son told me. 

Mindfulness brought an awareness of what my body was feeling in moments like this: crazed, frantic, and hurried. That awareness is a big red flag. And when that red flag flies, I know it’s time to stop and get in touch with the present.

I call upon one of my senses first: usually my ears. What am I hearing? And while I listen, I allow my breath to slow. Then I move on to another sensory detail: What do I smell? See? Touch? It doesn’t take long—I’ve done them in the doctor’s office, the car, and even while nursing my baby. 

Taking a quick moment to practice mindfulness can sometimes be like taking a cold shower—it’s a wake-up call. It reminds me of a crucial message: Notice what’s in front of you! This is your life you’re missing!

There are countless times I put my head down at night and realize I wasn’t really with the people I love or in the moment we were in. 

3. I try to be thankful for what I DO have, instead of coveting what I don’t.

It’s easy to get our wants and needs mixed up. Or feel jealous of what our peers have and we don’t. We think we need the latest phone, a shinier car, a bigger house, another baby—maybe even a new spouse—to be happier. But mindfully assessing our desires gives us pause to make a more informed decision.

For example, when I find myself getting jealous as I scroll through social media, I’ve noticed practicing mindfulness geared towards gratitude tends to lead my mind away from focusing on what I don’t have.

I’ve also found mindful practices that require me to envision different outcomes help me decide if I really want what I think I want. In these exercises, I imagine life with whatever it is that I want and consider various aspects that may be affected as a result.

Mindfulness changed my life significantly because it caused me to routinely practice gratitude. And that steers my thoughts towards my many blessings, instead of my misfortunes.

4. I utilize mindfulness to conquer my anxiety.

There was a year of my life where I experienced two miscarriages in a row, unexpectedly lost three friends, and had a close family member move far away. That grief and trauma made breathing difficult and the anxiety began to suffocate me.

After I started practicing mindfulness for anxiety (thanks to my therapist), life became more manageable. When I felt my anxiety reach levels of a panic attack, I’d leave the room if possible, close my eyes, and choose one of my go-to mindfulness exercises.

And with two young kids on the other side of my bathroom door, that was challenging. But I’d pull my mind inward and call attention to my breath and allow my senses to pick up small details in my surroundings that made me feel safe.

After 2-10 minutes of leaving my body to go hang out in my head for a bit, and then calling attention, slowly and intentionally, back to my body, I was able to breathe again. This took a lot of practice. But what awaited me on the other side of the mindfulness exercise was a better understanding of my feelings and respect for how hard I was fighting to heal.

5. I have a source of light in times of great darkness and sorrow.

After that year of loss, mindfulness helped me understand my depression and prevented me from falling further into it. I once told my husband that I didn’t see colors anymore. I only saw tones of gray. It was like wearing glasses that make the world foggy, or hazy.

I started doing certain mindfulness practices that heightened my senses besides sight, and I noticed that eventually, that hazy curtain over my eyes lifted and I saw colors again. The reintroduction of color into my life was so poignant, that I remember one of the mindfulness practices that led me to it. Here’s how it happened:

I was in the front yard with my husband and kids. They were all playing basketball, riding scooters, and giggling. I laid down on the soft grass, closed my eyes, and tried to quire my thoughts.

Then, I listened.

The first sounds were the closest: the basketball bouncing, the kids giggling, my husband cheering. But instead of identifying an object with the sounds, I thought of the sound. So my mind interpreted sounds like, “bounce, bounce,” “hee hee,” and, “Nice shot!”

Next, I noticed sounds further away. Like the whistle of the train I hadn’t heard over the laughter that drowned it out.

“Choo choo!”

The sound I heard next was so quiet I had to focus on it to see if I’d heard right.

Sure enough. There it was again. Faintly, like before.

“Thunk, thunk, thunk.” It came from the sidewalk.

All the louder sounds—the train, the basketball, the cheers—faded into the background.

So that I was privy to a sound I’d never paid attention to before. 

“Thunk, thunk, thunk,” came closer to me and then changed to, “crunch, crunch, crunch.”

When I opened my eyes, I saw blue sky peeking through green leaves. And blocking them both was my 3-year-old daughter’s red, chapped lips smiling inches from my face.

I looked down and saw her toes wiggling in the grass.

Noticing the sound of my daughter’s footsteps on the sidewalk and then the grass walked color back into my life. Mindfulness was a beacon of light in a dark, stormy period of my life. 

Final Thoughts…

No matter where you’re at with your mindfulness journey—whether you have no plans of starting, or you’re a mindfulness veteran—it’s hard not to be curious about how it’s benefited others. 

Because it is that powerful. 

Focusing on our body and the present moment gives us a reprieve from stress, and in my case, anxiety, and depression. 

Mindfulness changed my life by improving my sleep, helping me live in the moment, practicing gratitude, and managing my feelings of anxiety and sorrow. And it continues to positively impact my life.
I’d love to hear if (and how) mindfulness has affected your life. Let me know in the comments below! 👇👇👇

Stay mindful, even when your mind’s full.

~ Chelsea