The hammock that takes care of Intentions #1 and 5.
When my daughter was a toddler I recall discussing nutrition with her pediatrician, concerned about how much food she should be consuming each day. Like most of my efforts as a first-time mom, I was vigilant about meeting her needs, including her daily diet. It was a huge relief to hear that gauging her nutritional intake on a weekly, rather than daily, basis would be a perfectly reasonable and accurate measure of healthy nourishment.
It’s helpful to think of Mindfulness practices in much the same way. We often put pressure on ourselves to accomplish so much daily that Mindfulness can easily become just one more thing on our already overwhelming to-do list.
So, much like a toddler’s erratic diet, consider thesefive Mindful intentionsover the course of a week instead of each day. Rather than a rigid daily list, treat the intentions as a practical, flexible guide to keep you on track as you cultivate living in a more Mindful way.
Here are my five weekly nourishing intentions:
Stillness and quiet – Nothing beats spending 20-30 minutes doing nothing. Twenty is great, but five is better than none. Focus on your breath, sounds, or what you observe in nature.
Connection – Give your child or partner your undivided attention. Call a friend to say hello. Offer a genuine compliment or a smile. Practice gratitude. Look for ways to help.
Play – Dance to music that fills you with joy. Get out in nature and explore. Create art. Lose yourself in the moment. Exercise and move. Don’t take life, or yourself, so seriously.
Challenge yourself – Step out of your comfort zone. Learn something new. Speak up when you would normally remain silent. Go for it.
Nurture yourself – Stop. Rest. Read. Eat nutritious food. Talk to yourself with compassion and kindness. Take time to do what energizes and recharges you.
Set your own weekly Mindful intentions and get them down on paper. Pick one intention for the week to start. Keep it simple. Be curious. Challenge your kids or partner to join you. Congratulate yourself for your efforts. Keep it positive and have fun with it.
Leave a comment, share your nourishing Mindful intentions, and let me know how it goes!