Cultivating Sustainable Inner Strength, and Calm.
Why is mindfulness a good platform to build for yourself?
It is something you can do on your own when it suits you. And, is a lifelong plan of action to a pathway of a great life.
Men may try to cling to the stereotypes of toughness and emotional suppression, leading to feeling helpless, angry and unconnected to themselves and others. It’s exhausting and unattainable.
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Let’s look at some options today to make shifts in the way you go about in the world to feel good more often than not without compromising who you are in the world.
Step one:
Recognize that we all have ruminating thoughts. They are the bad thoughts that pervade our brains on a daily basis. They seem scary but are a natural way for our species to survive. We are the direct descendants from the ones that were alert to danger and acted upon it.
Step two:
Try different methods to see what feels right for you. Experimenting is just fine.
Here is one that can work:
Once the thought pops into your head. Acknowledge it. You can try saying “thank you” or “hello”.
Step three:
No judgment. You are not failing when these intrusive thoughts come in. It sounds counter productive but you can use these thoughts to find strength and peace.
Step four:
Some men find that breathing exercises in the moment help to calm down the unwanted thoughts. Alternate nostril breathing (include link) box breathing.for focussing on your breath in the moment.
Step five: Remind yourself that your brain is doing what it thinks it should do to protect you. This is why these thoughts feel so strong. Shifting how you perceive them will create your sustainable platform for good emotional health for a lifetime.
It’s difficult to control stress from external circumstances. Consider being your own teacher to build resilience to sources that can lead to stress. You can only run from them for so long so learning how to control how you respond will make them less of a factor.
You are not defined by your non positive thoughts. No one is.
Mindfulness helps you sit with all your feelings, the good, the bad and the ugly.
Work, relationships, health, family can be stressful and provide fuel for unhelpful thinking.
Practice mindfulness whenever you like. In the moment when you feel like you have failed, feel angry and also when you feel good.
It’s important to understand that mindfulness is not about discarding your masculinity, but about effortlessly embracing a balanced approach that includes emotional intelligence. And, being your authentic self daily.
Mindfulness can specifically benefit men, helping them cultivate emotional resilience, better relationships, and a deeper connection with their authentic selves, others and feeling empowered without feeling drained.
Anyone can start today to reduce stress and feel more focussed on enjoying your life.