Mindfulness is a practice that everyone can use. Being mindful means focusing on what you are doing presently, in an intentionally calm way. When we are mindful, we do one thing at a time. It’s okay if we are not efficient multitaskers. If you want to be more productive and organized, focus on one task at a time and look for ways to create more ease.
At Acacia Creek, a Certified Center for Successful Aging, and retirement community, residents and staff focus on achieving optimal health by growing the whole person – intellectually, socially, physically, and spiritually. Mindfulness touches upon all four of these successful aging components, benefitting both the body and mind.
When we are mindful, we notice where we put things, so we can later locate them, rather than mindlessly leaving things wherever. If you have clutter in your home, it can make it difficult to be organized. Think about prioritizing what you need and keep those around you. With gratitude and appreciation let go of things from the past that you no longer need. Sometimes hanging on to too many things prevents us from having ease and joy in our life right now.
Part of being organized is being mindful about what we want to accomplish in our day. When we prioritize what is important to us and minimize distractions, we are more likely to follow through with healthy choices. Most of us have good intentions about making healthy choices, but in the moment when presented with something easier or more pleasurable, we can disregard our healthy choices to do what’s easiest. Mindfulness helps us follow through with what we really want for ourselves and what we know is best for our own well-being.
If you tend to worry, mindfulness practices can help us see how our worries take us out of living in the moment of what’s happening now and take us far down the road of “what if” and “I (they) should have”. We should always learn from past mistakes, but when we dwell on the past and are hard on ourselves, it is not helpful. Nobody is perfect and no one is expected to be perfect. People who demand perfection from themselves and those around them live under a lot of pressure. Being mindful of doing our best and being open to improve on things empowers us to create more of what we want for ourselves. People who do this have stronger social connections and are more resilient.
We can’t change our past. We can only change how we live today and create a better foundation for our future. By being mindful of living in the present moment, we take our mind off of what we can’t change in focus on creating things that will make us feel good and bring more joy into our life.
Penny Vittoria
Successful Aging Coach
Acacia Creek Retirement Community inspires residents to live an active, meaningful life. Our mission as a senior community is to enrich the independence, well-being, and security of our residents through exceptional services and care based on Masonic values.
To learn more about Acacia Creek or our senior housing opportunities, contact us at www.acaciacreek.org/contact
