Setting My Intention

Clearing Clutter. Finding Joy. Living Slow

  • Home
    • Privacy and Cookie Policy
    • Disclosure
  • New? Start Here!
  • Work With Me
    • Affiliates
  • At Home
    • Decluttering Your Home
    • Meal Planning
      • Recipe
    • Organizing
  • In Relationships
    • Motherhood
    • Family
    • Self Care
  • In Life
    • Blogging
    • Budgeting
    • Fitness
    • Goals
    • Slow Living
  • FREE Resources
    • Top 10 Blogging Resources
    • FREE Meal Planning Printables
    • FREE 10 Step Decluttering Process
  • SHOP
    • Terms and Conditions
You are here: Home / In Life / Slow Living / The Secret to Start Living Mindfully Today

April 22, 2016 by Angela

The Secret to Start Living Mindfully Today

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Slow Your Home, and the guest was Scott Eblin, an executive coach who helps managers improve their leadership presence by being fully present. He had such practical wisdom to share that applies to everyone, not just executives. He also shares one simple but powerful tip to start living mindfully today.

Living Mindfully

Living Mindfully: A Definition

Eblin defines mindfulness as having two parts: awareness and intention. Awareness of what is going on around me and awareness of what is going on inside of me (mentally, physically, emotionally) in reaction to what is going on around me. He states that once we are aware, we can then be intentional about what we are going to do or not going to do.

Two Principles and a Practice

When asked by Brooke, of Slow Your Home, what people can do to start living more mindfully, he starts with two insightful principles:

  1. The only person who is going to take care of you is you.
  2. As you’re looking for a way to change your situation, don’t look for a 100% solution. Look for a 5% solution. Ask yourself, “what little thing can I do today or this week that will make a difference?”  The 5% solution over time will add up.

When Eblin makes the first point, he encourage us not to wait for our employers to implement wellness programs or family friendly policies. It is up to us to make self care and healthy practices a priority.

The 5% Solution to Living Mindfully

His encouragement for a 5% solution really struck me because it’s my philosophy when trying to implement any change in my life. My solutions have been incremental 5 minute solutions when trying to instill new and healthy habits like exercise, decluttering, or prayer.

What is the 5% solution that will help me progress, versus the 100% solution that promises “perfection” (which is largely unattainable). He repeatedly shares “progress comes incrementally, then suddenly.”

Progress comes incrementally, then suddenly - YES! Quote from @ScottEblin Click To Tweet

His mantra reminded me of the times that I have seen a building being constructed, then being shocked one day when it’s totally done. I always say, “Wow, that went up fast!” In reality though,  it didn’t – progress was incremental, then sudden.

living mindfully

The Secret to Start Living Mindfully

So, what is the secret? The secret to start living mindfully right now is to take 3 deep belly breaths. Everyone can do it. It doesn’t require you to change anything about your circumstances at work or home. It just requires you to take a minute and do it. It’s simple, effective, and accessible.

The important part is to get air all the way down to your belly. To know if you are doing that, you can place your hand lightly on your belly, breathe in for 4 counts, hold it for 2 counts, and breathe out for 4 counts. You should feel and see your hand rising and falling as you breathe in and out. Repeat 3 times.

Eblin encourages us with the fact that taking 3 deep belly breaths, or taking a 10 minute walk, will counteract the “fight or flight” response from chronic stress and stimulate the “rest and digest” response.

His book, Overworked and Overwhelmed: The Mindfulness Alternative, goes into all of this in greater detail, and I’m excited to read it!

Living Mindfully

How are you trying to live mindfully? Does it include deep breathing?

You might also like:

add mindfulness to your day

This post will be shared at these lovely link ups.

living-mindfully-square-1

Related

About Angela

Wife. Mom to three boys. Writer. Reader. Aspiring Minimalist. Lover of chocolate and fitness. She loves blogging about the ways she is finding success in simplifying life one step at a time. Her mantra is "Progress, not Perfection."

❮❮ Previous Post
Next Post ❯ ❯

Comments

  1. Christine Fantuzzo says

    April 22, 2016 at 3:04 pm

    Susan Corcoran forwarded this to me. What a great article and it is so good to learn what is on your mind these days. I found your words helpful and capable of relieving stress. Sincerely, Christine

    • Angela says

      April 22, 2016 at 7:07 pm

      Hi Christine! I’m so glad you came over and found it helpful. I know being mindful is a high value for you and you’ve been such a great model of it.

  2. melinda says

    April 22, 2016 at 6:53 pm

    Angela, I love the 5% idea!! I’m usually so gung ho, I jump in feet first, then peter out, because it’s too overwhelming. I can do 5% at the time!! Thank you!!

    • Angela says

      April 22, 2016 at 7:04 pm

      I’m so glad you found it helpful Melinda! I agree, I find changes are much more sustainable when they’re done slowly and consistently!

  3. Abby says

    April 22, 2016 at 11:53 pm

    I really need to remember this 5% solution business. I feel on top of things now, but I know the fall will bring a newborn baby, continuing MBA work, new curriculum to learn and teach… yeah, I’ll be needing this 5% solution strategy in a few months. Thanks for sharing!

    • Angela says

      April 26, 2016 at 7:26 am

      Oh my goodness Abby – your plate is so full. You’re handling it like a boss, girlfriend! Yes, the 5% solution is definitely the answer to overwhelm.

  4. Rebekah@ Surviving Toddlerhood says

    April 23, 2016 at 10:08 pm

    What a great and true perspective! Any little change we make is better than nothing! Don’t put off for tomorrow what you could do today.

    • Angela says

      April 26, 2016 at 4:53 pm

      It’s so true that small changes add up rapidly! Thanks for reading and commenting Rebekah. I appreciate it!

  5. Christy King says

    April 24, 2016 at 6:18 pm

    This is an excellent point. For many years, I didn’t simplify at all because it felt overwhelming. Once I realized I could gradually simplify my life, slowly decluttering my stuff and my schedule, things started to improve surprisingly quickly.

    • Angela says

      April 26, 2016 at 4:57 pm

      I’m so glad that gradual changes make a difference. It’s encouraging to hear from you too Christy because you’re on the “suddenly” side of progress!

  6. Marina @ Minds Work Meditation says

    April 25, 2016 at 6:48 am

    Great tip.. I just took three deep breaths and already feel much better 🙂

    • Angela says

      April 26, 2016 at 4:58 pm

      Wonderful! Thanks for reading and commenting Marina.

  7. heather @ Simply Save says

    April 26, 2016 at 8:35 pm

    That makes sense! I’m going to have to check out the podcast!

  8. Angela @marathonsandmotivation.com says

    April 28, 2016 at 4:12 pm

    Thanks for sharing at the Sunday Fitness & Food Link-Up! I look forward to checking it out 🙂

  9. Karen says

    May 1, 2016 at 9:03 pm

    Thanks for sharing at Let’s Get Real Friday Link Party. I love this post. I hadn’t heard of that podcast, will be checking it out and I love how you explained his thoughts on living mindfully. I will be featuring this post this coming week’s link party because i hope more people read it. Also will be sharing on my FB fan page. Thanks.

    • Angela says

      May 3, 2016 at 10:07 pm

      Thank you Karen! I’m happy to introduce you to Slow Your Home – it’s a great podcast!

  10. Ana@CelebratingSunshine says

    June 9, 2016 at 8:06 am

    This post is so useful and I love the 5% idea. It is all so much easier when we slow down and simplify. Thank you!

    • Angela says

      June 10, 2016 at 11:44 am

      I agree Ana! Approaching it with a 5% mentality makes it so much easier to START!

  11. Debbie Rodrigues says

    June 10, 2016 at 6:05 am

    Great tips, Angela.
    Thanks a lot for sharing them.

    • Angela says

      June 10, 2016 at 11:44 am

      Your welcome Debbie. Thanks for reading them!

  12. Morgan says

    April 5, 2017 at 10:47 am

    I really struggle with this – it can be so hard when you have little kids and sometimes feel like you’re just trudging through each day! Thank you for the tips!

Hi Friend! I’m Angela

Welcome to my blog where I write about simplifying life in small, manageable steps and creating healthy habits. You'll find inspiration, practical tips and community here for the decluttering you're doing in your own life. (whether that's physical, mental, or emotional clutter) Thanks so much for stopping by! Read More…

Courtney Carver’s Soulful Simplicity Course

Let’s Connect!

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

How to Start Making Changes in 5 Important Areas

FREE Step by Step Instructions!

You feel overwhelmed by your space and you don't know where to start. Here is a 1 page guide that will walk you step by step through decluttering any space in your home.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Your 1 page "cheatsheet" is on the way!

Top Posts & Pages

  • 7 Steps to Start Hand Lettering
    7 Steps to Start Hand Lettering
  • How to Start Swedish Death Cleaning
    How to Start Swedish Death Cleaning
  • Basement Clutter Tour
    Basement Clutter Tour
  • Basement Clutter Reveal
    Basement Clutter Reveal
  • Lagom: What it is and How to Start Living It
    Lagom: What it is and How to Start Living It

Affiliate Disclosure

This website may include affiliate links. These companies pay a small commission to me for sharing their products and services at no additional cost to you.

Disclosure

All information on this blog is from the author’s experience and is not intended to be professional advice. When using ideas from this blog, readers should use common sense and caution.

Amazon Associates

Setting My Intention participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate ad program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Copyright

Copyright Setting My Intention 2018. All rights reserved. Please feel free to share content from this website with a reference to the website and link back to the original page or post.

 

Copyright 2016 Pretty Chic Theme By: Pretty Darn Cute Design On Genesis Framework