A Mindful March Challenge

I hope everyone is well! The benefits of mindfulness practices are more widely recognized as time passes. By dedicating time to mindfulness practices, individuals can experience significant reductions in stress levels. This practice aids in enhancing emotional health, fostering a sense of calm and stability even in the face of challenges. Additionally, mindfulness helps in promoting a greater sense of overall well-being, encouraging a more balanced and rewarding approach to daily activities.

Mindfulness also sharpens focus and concentration, making it easier to stay present in the moment and improve productivity. By cultivating an awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, and surroundings, mindfulness can lead to more meaningful connections and improved interpersonal relationships. It can support better decision-making by allowing for a clearer, more composed mindset.

The key word above is "practice", as with any other skill it takes time and attention to improve. I am doing a self-imposed mindfulness challenge for the month of March and wanted to briefly share the key points here:

Meditate Twice Daily

Meditation has shown to significantly reduce stress, enhance emotional health, and promote a greater sense of well-being. When practiced in the quiet dawn or the calm dusk, these moments of introspection offer an opportunity to reset, refocus, and recharge. My theory is that bookending my days with meditation will foster ongoing mindfulness.

Get Off the Algorithms

I always wonder how much of our worldview is unknowingly shaped by the content fed to us by the algorithm. Data is collected so ingeniously it does not depend solely on clicks; the time we view a post or ad are measured as it represents interest impacts content suggestions. A friend of mine has an interest in crime so their newsfeed is always full to the brim with stories of heinous acts. In their perspective, the world is full of heinous acts. It is obvious that their perspective has not been fully shaped by the algorithm’s results, but it is equally clear that it must have an impact. How much have I been impacted?

Additionally, it’s important to realize the measure of success for these algorithms is not contentment or happiness. The goal is engagement with the content for as long as possible. This is more effectively accomplished through creating a sense of dissatisfaction that can keep you scrolling, seeking something you can’t really define.

Throughout March I am only using apps with suggested content or newsfeeds intentionally and avoiding the temptation to scroll.

Improve Sleep Habits

We all know the many benefits of a good sleep routine, but I struggle with good sleep habits when I get busy. I will disrupt my schedule to catch up with work, have fun with my kids, or even to watch a show I’m hooked on at the time. I’m trying to bring more intention to the routine by really considering whether the interruption is worth the lost rest and by avoiding all screens for at least 30 minutes prior to sleep.

Please let me know in the comments if you have any thoughts, suggestions, or if anything resonated with you and have a great March!