How to practice mindfulness

By now you've probably heard the word mindfulness floating around social media. Mindfulness's powerful effect on the mind and body is vast.

Being mindful, whether through meditation or another practice can reduce stress and anxiety, decrease symptoms of depression, help navigate emotions and even improve your memory! Researchers found that practicing mindfulness may actually be an effective means of relieving physical pain and improving physical functioning. Being mindful is easier said than done, but with consistency and patience it can be achieved.

Here are some ways to produce a more positive outlook through mindfulness.

• Create habits of gratitude.
• Begin each day by stating three things you are grateful for.
• Commit to positiveness. Stay positive in all situations. Being negative won't change the situation so why not find a glimmer of good in it. Your complaints might be someone's hope.
• Squash the negative. When you or someone around you is being negative, stop the comments by repeating them in a positive way. Be the positive person who others enjoy being around.
• Stay near positive people. Do you ever notice that spending time with someone who is negative can wear on you? Stay near people who lift you up.
• Keep an open mind. Walking in someone else's shoes might open your mind and allow you to release any negative feelings you might be holding on to.
• Repeat, repeat, repeat. Do all of these things day after day. Practice and soon you'll see the positive in all situations.