Welcome to podcast episode 39 (listen here), offering 4 easy to implement solutions to finding peace and understanding mindfulness!

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to "go with the flow" while perhaps you struggle to find peace? Maybe you've tried meditation, but found yourself distracted and turned off from the experience. You're not alone!

Modern society hardly teaches us how to slow down. Everywhere we look, we see the go, go, go message. The more we do, the more we obtain the "busy" status symbol. Recovering alcoholics and addicts benefit greatly from practicing mindfulness. With mindfulness you can beat addiction, bust sugar cravings and obtain long-lasting, optimal health.

Spending thousands of dollars on gurus or moving to an ashram to learn mindfulness isn't necessary. Follow these 4 simple steps to create your happy life today!

Mindfulness Step 1: Pay Attention

Begin your journey into the practice of mindfulness by paying attention. Seems simple so why are we all so unaware of our surroundings? Because we have been taught to bypass all that doesn't seem important. In our culture, slowing down doesn’t work with the busy notion we've become so addicted to.

To truly practice mindfulness and live a happy life, it's imperative that we stop to smell the roses. Use these tips to practice paying attention:

Be aware of your experience without reaction: Begin to NOTICE your life and all of the experiences you have. We call this awareness. Be in your experience, but do not react to it.

Use your senses to describe your experience: See, smell, taste, hear, and touch. Your senses are the best way to tap into what you're experiencing.

Imagine your mind as a Teflon pan: Allow feelings to slide in and slide out just like cooking in a non-stick pan. The feelings come and they go without holding onto any of them. Feelings are just feelings, no action is required.

Mindfulness Step 2: Practice Acceptance

Acceptance does not require judgment. Acceptance means simply acknowledging what is and seeing things for what they are.

"Radical Acceptance is the willingness to experience ourselves and our lives as it is.” - Tara Brach

 Become one with your experience

Don’t judge it

Practice progress not perfection

Mindfulness Step 3: Don’t Multi-Task

Studies show time and time again that multi-tasking has negative effects on our brain chemistry and nervous systems. In hunter-gatherer cultures performing one task at a time means survival. The incidence of ADHD diagnosis continues to rise and we have to recognize the role multi-tasking, especially in children, plays in that. We also know that multi-tasking has deadly consequences in some situations, like texting and driving. Mindfulness cannot be practiced without slowing down and learning to focus.

Practice one thing at a time: Don't jump back and forth between applications on your phone or computer. Focus on just your email or just one social media app.

Start small: Focus on one thing a day like brushing your teeth and really experiencing the task without putting your thoughts elsewhere.

Mindfulness Step 4: Meditate

Meditation and mindfulness are not the same. While you can have one without the other, both will be more powerful together. Meditation can help with quitting smoking, fat loss, sugar avoidance, and an overall happier, more productive life.

Turn off technology and get quiet

We have practiced these mindfulness steps for years in our lives with positive outcomes. If you'd like to learn more tips on how to live a happier and healthier life in recovery, click below: