Refresh and revitalize your mind for the New Year and you’ll be ready to face whatever 2021 may hold. Mindfulness has long been a way to fully immerse yourself in the present; a way to relax your mind from the overwhelming stimulation that may come from life’s challenges. We’ve listed some tips to help you adopt mindfulness, so you can start the New Year on the right foot.

It doesn’t matter how little time you have to spend concentrating on mindfulness; a simple three or five minutes out of your day can still help keep you grounded and in control. Spend however much time you want sitting still and focusing on the present moment, observing your surroundings and your feelings. Take it up a notch and list five things you are grateful for everyday or concentrate on your breathing patterns to keep you focused.

Release yourself from the pressures of social media by taking a detox once or twice a week. It is so easy to become susceptible to the ideals and curated photos that pop up on our feeds, making us question our lifestyles and our self-worth. While social media has its positives; helping connect families and friends and providing relevant content, it doesn’t hurt to reduce your intake for a healthy outlook and state of mind.

Another way to practice mindfulness is by observing your emotions when they arise or before you feel them jumping up to the surface, especially if it's anger. As humans we can be quite reactive in the way in which we process and voice our emotions. That’s why adopting mindfulness can help you to become more aware of your emotions and act on them appropriately, instead of firing up or acting impulsively. By setting your mind up in a way where it can observe the emotions before they burst out, will allow you to make sure that you’re in control.

The practice of mindfulness has a vast array of benefits including alleviating stress, improving concentration, reducing anxiety and improving creativity.[1] It can also contribute to an improvement in overall wellbeing and mental health.

[1] What are the Benefits of Mindfulness. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/07-08/ce-corner.aspx