With Valentine’s Day upon us, the topic of love is more palpable than ever. It got me thinking about the relationship between mindfulness and love.
What I found is that whether you are single, dating or in a committed relationship this Valentine’s Day, anyone can benefit from applying the basic principles of mindfulness to their love lives.
Here are six simple thoughts to help become more mindful in love:
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Self-Care
Life can be so hectic, and because you can get busy taking care of work, family, friends, it is easy to ignore what you need to do to make yourself happy. Make a habit of listening to your body. Develop a consistent self-care routine that makes you feel good. Eat right, stay active, and surround yourself with positive people and things. Put yourself first. Draw hard lines when you don’t want to do things. It’s ok to be true to yourself; in fact, you must be in order to become your best self.
Cultivating Intention
Enhance your self-awareness by exploring your innermost thoughts. What is it that you really want? Maybe at this time, you don’t feel ready to be in a committed relationship. Perhaps you are in a relationship and are feeling unsure about it. Take time to clear your mind and really think about what you want. Not what society or other people think you should have. What do YOU want? Set intentions and check in with yourself from time to time to see if priorities have changed. Share your intentions if it feels right to you.
Be Present
Being present is one of the most crucial practices when it comes to dating or being in a relationship. We all have a past but it is best to leave it there when you are with someone else. Even when you are in a long relationship with the same person, you don’t want to bring up old situations that may be painful. If you decide to stay in the relationship, be where you are and focus on enjoying yourself. There are always things that we could dwell on from the past or worry may happen in the future. This doesn’t feel good for anyone. Just be at peace knowing this is where you want to be.
Kindness
Approaching situations with kindness is a cornerstone of mindfulness. Taking a moment to remember that we are all human and we must have compassion for each other will be helpful in any type of relationship you have. Kindness also promotes kindness so remember to spread the love. It will certainly find it’s way back to you.
Curiosity
Living curiously is so liberating. As we grow up, we lose some of the curiosity that we have innately as children. It is easy to become set in our ways. Learning to break outside of that, and letting others in to push our boundaries can be invigorating. There is always more that we can learn and don’t forget that you can teach people a thing or two along the way.
Non-Judgment
This may be the hardest of all the practices, but that is why it is called a practice! Think about re-training your mind and resist making snap judgments about people, places, and things. Picture your mind as a blank slate, and get to know people for who they are, not who you think they are. Don’t be jaded by things that have happened in the past. Every situation is an opportunity to start again new.
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I hope these tips help you as much as they have helped me. I will continue to keep you posted on my health journey. Follow me for updates @christiemandia.