Seriously, though, what is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is one of many popular terms floating around social media today... but is it even real? We are so inundated with ideas, fads, and trends that sometimes it's hard to know what is legitimate and what is not. While there are tons of gimmicks out there falsely promoting healthy lifestyles, I assure you that mindfulness is not one of them. In actuality, mindfulness originates from Eastern religion and the practice dates back thousands of years.

A common misconception about mindfulness is that it is just about meditation or deep breathing, and though these are components of mindfulness, it is much more than that. Simply stated, mindfulness is a choice and a skill that can be developed to promote increased awareness, which can then be translated into a more balanced, relaxed way of living. Mindfulness can help you learn how to manage your thoughts, improve your mood, reduce anxiety, be kinder to yourself, and much more.

I could probably prattle on forever about mindfulness, but instead, I thought it would be more useful to share a website that does a great job of giving you what you need to know about mindfulness in an easy-to-digest kinda way. If you're a newbie, I would suggest starting out by visiting the "Getting Started" tab and then work your way through the site once you've mastered the basics.

What I love about mindfulness is that there are a lot of ways to go about doing it that don't require a lot of effort. For those of you intimidated by meditation, or who just lack the patience for it, know that you can be successful with just 2-5 minutes of mindfulness each day. So, what have you got to lose?

Thanks for reading.

Your mind matters and so do you.