Why You Need to Adopt a Lifestyle of Conscious Living
For many people, hearing the term ‘conscious living’ brings up images of health food stores, hemp, and dreadlocks. However, this is a total misconception. Anyone can practice living consciously, and all of us should do so. Not only is it something that can benefit the environment, but it can also improve our relationships and physical as well as mental wellbeing. And it’s not some deeply mystical or necessarily spiritual practice; it’s more about being aware of how you live your life. Understanding conscious living and implementing it into your lifestyle doesn’t have to involve massive changes either. There are some simple ways you can improve mindfulness and pay attention to the world around you.
In this article, we’ll explore what conscious living means and why you should consider doing so. We’ll take a look at some of the benefits this approach can bring, and how you can implement some of the principles in your day-to-day life.
What is Conscious Living?
Conscious living is all about being aware of your lifestyle and your surroundings. There are many different levels of this that you can explore, from overarching themes about life to more granular and personally specific issues. The habit for many of us is to switch out during activities that are part of our daily routine. We don’t focus our attention on seemingly insignificant parts of our lives, such as commuting, eating, cleaning, or even forming our opinions. We do these things every day, but rarely give them more than a passing thought. Living consciously is about being aware of every aspect of your life and giving it considered thought. It’s about choosing to be mindful of matters both large and small.
Concepts with deeper meaning are also sometimes neglected. Our families, finances, health, leisure, environment, and spirituality are all important, and those who live consciously give these things more consideration and change their lifestyle accordingly. For it is not just awareness of our lives that matters, it’s then choosing to act responsibly based on this awareness. Being aware of what we eat can lead to making food choices based on health and ethical concerns. This choice can benefit both the individual and the environment. The same can be said for most aspects of our lives. By being aware of what we do and making conscious choices, it’s possible for us to be our best and most responsible selves.
Why Should You Live Consciously?
Practicing a lifestyle of living consciously can make us happier, healthier, and more successful. It’s not something that comes overnight, however; the process to reach awareness and fulfillment takes time and a lot of disciplined effort. Below are some areas of your life that could potentially see improvements:
- Health. By paying closer attention to how you treat your body, you can identify areas that need work. Consciousness in this area can make you understand the impacts of what you eat, both on your health and your environment. Enacting changes to your diet contributes greatly to living a healthy lifestyle. Not only this, but you will be more in tune with your body.
- Productivity. Being aware of how you spend your time can make a significant difference on how productive you are. Paying attention to what you say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to can result in you making positive choices. This action means you can dedicate more time to areas of your life that are important, such as family, relationships, and self-betterment.
- Environment. Many people fail to recognize that they have an impact on the world around them. Whether it’s the waste they produce, the food they consume, or the power they use, it all has an effect on our planet. Those who make a conscious choice to minimize their impact on the environment are helping to garner a society where eco-friendly and sustainable living is the norm.
- Self-love. Happiness is a vital yet often underappreciated part of our overall wellbeing. It’s possible to be unaware that we’re unhappy if we don’t practice a mindful approach to living our daily lives. Happiness is a basic requirement for a fulfilling life. Practicing conscious living can help you realize your passions and desires, set goals, and recognize what is important to you.
How Can You Adopt a Lifestyle of Conscious Living?
It’s likely that you already live consciously in some areas of your life. Many people are motivated by family, money, health, or one other main aspect of existence. However, to unlock your full potential, mindfulness and living consciously are necessary. There are a variety of practices you can begin now that will assist with this:
- Ask important questions. You may be living unconsciously without realizing it. Start by asking yourself some questions about your life and existence. Do you like your job? Do you feel happy? Do you feel healthy? Do you spend enough time with family and loved ones? If the answer to these questions is ‘no’ then you’ve identified some areas in which you can start being more aware.
- Reflect. Set sometime aside each day to reflect on your life. Whether it’s some quiet time to meditate, or an opportunity to write in a journal or diary. Think deeply about the matters that are close to your heart, and ask yourself where you can be more conscious. Review how you’ve spent your time that day, and where your time could be better spent tomorrow.
- Make positive choices. If you’ve identified that you need to eat better or exercise more, live out those changes. Maybe you have decided to set a goal or follow a passion; make daily reminders to take small steps towards it.
- Expand your horizons. Mindfulness is about exploring new sources of information to form a well-balanced opinion. Read, watch, and listen to a variety of different media to think about yourself and the world in a different way.
Changing your lifestyle to one focused on living consciously takes time and effort. But it’s a process that’s more than worth the effort. With a greater understanding of yourself and your inner thoughts and feelings, you can take actions that benefit you and those around you. It allows you the opportunity to connect with yourself, your environment, and the people you care about, and it gives you true power over your life.
