5 Simple Ways to Feel Content Right Now

Ever felt you are continually striving? Striving to be more, be better, be healthier or get to somewhere? You know, the I’ll be happy when… thought process.

Don’t worry I can relate and was constantly on that cycle growing up. Maybe it had to do with being a professional athlete, I’m not sure. However, growing up striving to be better was very familiar. So, when I started training in mindfulness, the concept of non-striving was extremely unfamiliar and uncomfortable for me.

 

What is Non-Striving?

Non-striving is an attitude of willingness to allow the present to be the way it is without trying to fix things. For you to be as yourself as you are. Striving can interfere with fully knowing the present and so being able to respond to it rather than to react.

For example – if you sit down to meditate and think “I am going to control my pain”, then you have introduced an idea in to your mind about where you ‘should’ be. With that comes the notion that you are not ok now. Non-striving also supports the cultivation of mindfulness.

 

5 Simple Ways to Feel Content Right Now

Following are five simple ways to develop the attitude of non-striving and start to feel content in your life right now.

1. Be Grateful

Yes, right now, what in your life can you be grateful for? What situation, person or experience have you had today that you can be grateful for? Write it down in a journal and each day start to notice all of the things you can be grateful for. If you need some help, here is a post on a creating a gratitude jar and how gratitude can change your life.

2. Focus on Your Strengths –

Do you know your strengths? If so, well done! If not, you can find them out here (you will need to create an account, however it is free). The Character Strengths Survey gives you some clues of who you are at your core. Your character strengths are the personality characteristics that help you feel engaged, authentic and unique in your life.

The Character Strengths Survey is a simple survey that takes a few minutes to complete. Once completed, the survey provides you with information to help you understand your constellation of the 24 character strengths that fall under six broad virtue categories: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance and transcendence. Then you can use your strengths whole-heartedly!

3. Start a Mindfulness Practise 

Mindfulness has definitely helped me to be more present and content with life. It can be practised both formally and informally.

Informal practice involves bringing mindful awareness to your daily activities (i.e. exercising, chores or any other action you find yourself in).

Formal practice involves taking specific time out to intentionally sit, lie, walk or stand and focus on the breath, body sensations, sounds, smells, tastes, thoughts and emotions. There are some ideas here about how to start practising.

4. Take Time Out to Reflect

Do you take time out of your life to reflect?

Yes, I realise you may be busy, however reflection is important. What I mean by reflect – is taking the time out to review a situation or activity, your week, day, month or year. It is a great tool that allows you to take notice and become more mindful of what is happening in our lives.

For example, have you ever noticed when you start a new activity, you are often enthusiastic and dedicated at first and then things change? Why does that happen? I am not sure why it happens for you as we are all different and unique, however this is one of the reasons why it is important to take time out and reflect. There is a process I use here for reflection if you would like to see it 🙂

5. Nourish Your Self

When was the last time you really looked after yourself? What I mean is your social, emotional, physical, mental, financial, professional environmental and spiritual health and wellbeing?

If you do, congratulations! If not, maybe it is time for some self-care? There are 20 ideas to start nourishing your self here.

 

Over to You…

I hope this post has give you some insight in to how you can be content right now! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.

 

If you are ready to reclaim your courage and take the next step towards freedom and opening your heart, why not join our Toolkit?

 

Reference –

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. New York, USA: Bantam Dell.

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