These days, it’s so easy for our hectic and fast-paced lifestyle to get the best of us. Work, family and finances all demand our time and attention so much that often, we become overwhelmed and disconnected.

However, when we’re mindful we can step back onto the blissful path. It doesn’t take much time to come into a space of mindfulness, just a bit of focus.

Here are five things you can do every day to keep yourself grounded and connected to what really matters.

1. Start with a Purpose

When you wake up in the morning ask yourself, “What is my purpose today? How would I like the day to go?”

So often we rush out the door and start our day without evening thinking about how we want it to go. Before we know it, we meet people who have energy that doesn’t match ours or we encounter a challenge we weren’t anticipating. That’s when we start to react with frustration, impatience or even a little rage.

Instead of blazing into the day without an intention, strengthen the connection between your higher and lower self first thing in the morning.

When you wake up, take a few slow, deep breaths in and out. Sit in your bed, connect with how your body feels and ask yourself, “What is my intention today?”

Whatever comes up is perfect. Carry that with you through the day and periodically check in to see if you’re living that intention.

2. Eat with Reverence

In Ayurveda, the act of eating is considered a sacred experience. It is valued as one of the most intimate experiences of ourselves, because when we eat, we take in nutrients that will help with energy levels, vitality and sustainability.

Instead of rushing through your eating process, take time. Allow your body to absorb the fact that it is taking in nutrients, and eat only as much as your body needs.

After you eat in this way, you will feel refreshed and nourished!

3. Pause Throughout the Day

Take moments throughout the day to pause. They can be 3 to 10 seconds of slow breathing and reflection that will help your brain move out of the fast lane and back to the middle lane or the slow lane as you travel down the highway to bliss!

About 95% of what we do through the day happens on autopilot. The more present we can be, the more joyful we become.

4. Create New Patterns

Along the lines of running on autopilot, we often do the same things over and over and over again. Even things as simple as always crossing the right leg over the left instead of vice versa can get us into a sort of rut, a sort of “autopilot.”

Try consciously altering your patterns. Cross a different leg on top. Eat something different for breakfast. Shop at a different grocery store. Anything that doesn’t fall into your regular behavioral pattern will help you stay more focused and present in your life.

5. Exercise

When you activate your muscles, you activate your mind and body. Walking on a treadmill, sweating it out on the elliptical machine or just going for a run outside will stimulate your cardio vascular system and get the blood flowing.

Any way you can get moving is good for you, even if it’s as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

When we choose to live in the slow lane, we are choosing mindfulness. Turning off the autopilot feature of our brains, even if it’s just for a few minutes several times through the day, will help us make the right decisions and ultimately feel more fulfilled in our lives.

Would you like to live life in the slow lane? Click here [Freegiftsfromrochele.com] for some of my tips for slowing down and leading a more purposeful life.