Hardwire yourself for happiness
While we're often happiest when we live in the moment, the busyness of modern life can make it tricky to be present, enjoy our lives and notice the world around us. That’s where mindfulness comes in...
(Psst – tell us something you enjoy giving your full attention to and be into win a personalised tour of the stars. Want to know more? Read on!).
A massive study using smartphones to monitor happiness levels in real time shows a clear relationship between mind-wandering or having scattered attention and unhappiness. The flip side is that we're often happiest when we're lost in the moment.
We all have times when we ‘enjoy getting lost’ in doing something. Whether you’re in the garden, playing guitar, or perfecting a haiku, there are moments we all have when time just flies by. This ‘in the zone’ state of mind is called ‘flow’, and can be considered a first step towards mindfulness.
Discover more about being in the zone on our enjoy the moment webpage.
Like all areas of our health and wellbeing, mindfulness doesn't just come naturally without effort. There are many little things we can practice every day that will help in training our mind towards mindfulness. You can even practice in the shower...
Breathe easy
Focusing on our breathing is a very helpful and basic practice for becoming more mindful. Combining it with some simple actions makes it even better. Hikitia te Hā is a simple breathing exercise that anyone can learn - check out our video for a step-by-step guide.
WIN: I am mindful when...
Who's up for a personalised tour of the stars thanks to the Canterbury Astronomical Society?
You'll get a night time session in the observatory just for your small group with an astronomer on hand to talk you through the amazing sights above us.
It's all about focusing on how important it is for us all to just enjoy the moment.
All you need to do to be in to win is comment on our Facebook post with something you enjoy giving your full attention to. So where or when do you use all your senses? The garden? Star gazing? Walking along the beach? Playing with the kids?
