A Monk's Guide to Happiness... a quick summary

-- Remind yourself what you DO have, rather than always thinking about what you DON'T have, and be grateful for it. 

-- Don't walk around with your head down looking at your phone as you will miss out on so much going around you in the real world! If you for a walk then try to appreciate the flowers and the trees and the noise of the wind and the trees rustling and the birds singing... this will do your mind a world of good!

-- Just be IN THE PRESENT more... rather than thinking about the past or worrying about the future, just appreciate what you have in the moment and if everything is ok in that moment then try to enjoy it!

-- If things don't go according to plan, like you are stuck in a traffic jam... then instead of thinking of it as being time wasted and getting angry and frustrated, try to think of it as time you are being 'given' where you actually can't control the situation so you may as well make the most of not being answerable to anyone else -- it's about turning negative situations like this on it's head and thinking about them in a more positive light! 

-- If you struggle to find time to sit down and meditate, then just try it for micro moments. For example when washing your hands... every time you wash them try to be in the present, think about the smell of the soap, the feel of the water on your hands... and do this every time you wash them.

-- Again if you are going to try and meditate but don't have much time, then first thing or last thing in the day are best. For example, he states that so many of us are woken up by the shock of our alarm clocks, shove our phones in our face to check for messages, throw coffee down our throats before running out the door... and this is not good for our systems, causing a spike in stress hormones circulating the body. He advises instead to try to waking up our bodies up more gently if at all possible, and then doing a bit of meditation before springing out of bed... for example just concentrating on our breathing, listening to the birds outside the window or feeling our head on the pillow etc etc, just to calm down our stress hormones. I have tried to do this a bit after waking up and it certainly is a better start to the day and I feel alot calmer!

He also gives alot of practical advice on HOW to actually meditate which is great! It's a fab read and available here. 

 

Lucy x

ps none of my posts are sponsored in anyway