It is very important for individuals to make conscious decisions in order to take charge of their life. Making small changes like opting for positive choices, converting a plan into an actionable activity, being confident in your ability to make and execute decisions is what is needed. Life becomes more fulfilling when individuals become self-empowered. This can be achieved by conscious mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness is nothing but the human ability to be fully aware of their surroundings, aware of where they currently are and what they are doing, and not getting overwhelmed by what’s going on around them. But, while talking about it is easy, what is often difficult is putting it into action.
Additionally, the current surge in virtual communication has resulted in people spending more time facing TV screens, laptops and smartphones. As per various reports, the stark increase in exposure to smart screens has been reported to increase major amount of stress and burnout levels. But, the question is how do we cope with it? Because this trend is only going to increase with time and therefore, the only solution is to disconnect and take breaks from your online activities now and then during the day in order to indulge in healthy self-care practices like meditation, short naps, breathing exercises etc. Indulging in self-care activities has its benefits, one of which is increased self-awareness. Individuals feel empowered if they are aware about their thoughts and feelings. This realisation helps them in getting to know them better as well as guide them in terms of their reactions towards situations as well as people resulting in reduced stress and a greater sense of calm.
Today people have started to acknowledge that there are these barriers that need to be addressed in order to attain a fulfilling life and to achieve that, there are simple yet life-changing techniques for people to achieve higher self-esteem, confidence and self-empowerment.Self-compassion: It is an effective tool for improving our lives and the lives of others. But, unfortunately, developing self-compassion can be far more difficult. People generally lack in self-compassion and rarely address it. But, it is very important to treat yourself the way you would treat a close friend. By learning self-compassion, individuals are able to create a more positive outlook towards life. Therefore, it is important to practice in self-compassionate activities. Various ways to practice it would include steps like practicing forgiveness and inculcating a growth mindset. Expressing gratitude for what we have and practicing mindfulness.
Share your innermost feelings within focused groups or communities: With siloed approach in terms of communication becoming a trend, there is need for people to be able to share their inner-most feelings and stress factors in order to declutter their mind. In such a scenario, it is always helpful to find people or communities to share your innermost and deepest thoughts so that individuals are able to reduce the amount stress they hold within themselves. These communities or focused groups have the potential to provide proper help and support which is much needed by the individuals who are struggling with a lot of stress.
Focus on self: It is always easier to change your physical appearance. The difficult part is the feeling that individuals have about themselves. The lack of conviction about oneself is dangerous and this needs to be given priority above anything else.‘You are one in a million’: A hand has five fingers and all those five fingers are different in shapes and sizes. It is the same with all individuals as well. We are all unique in our own ways and we should respect that difference. When we acknowledge this fact, life becomes easier for us and we become kinder to ourselves. With mindfulness meditation, one can achieve this.
Remain unfazed to others’ judgments and opinions: Opinions matter but a line has to be drawn everywhere. Taking advice and suggestions from your dear ones is always good but an individual’s decision should be his or hers only. Getting affected by what people say devastates a person’s self-esteem. Self-esteem should always come from within a person because only then you will be self-empowered.
Self-empowerment is a tedious and a time-consuming process, which requires a lot of experimenting as different activities can have different amount of impact on various individuals. Some strategies may even require practice too.But it’s important to keep looking for the tools that each individual connects well with as it will help him or her manage life’s inevitable ups and downs in a healthier manner.
The author is founder, Ekaanta: Mindversity on the Ganges
Indulging in self-care activities has its benefits, one of which is increased self-awareness. Individuals feel empowered if they are aware about their thoughts and feelings.