It’s easy to get caught up in the process of living life so much that we forget to experience it.
Every day, decisions and distractions compete for our attention, denying us the opportunity to live life thoughtfully, especially as busy people.
Because our daily routines have become habitual, we barely notice our days flying by. It seems harmless, but our unwitting obliviousness to our very own existence is the reason why so many of us feel unhappy, unfulfilled, and without actual purpose.
What is Conscious Living?
Conscious living is about living each second with intention and awareness. It’s thinking about every action you take, noticing every moment you spend, and observing your emotions.
To live consciously is to take self-awareness in every aspect of your life. It doesn’t sound very easy, but it is deceptively simple.
Related: How to Create a Conscious Relationship with Your Partner
When you live a conscious life, all your decisions come after deliberate thought. You don’t just follow life wherever it leads you.
Instead, you are present in every thought, every action, and every feeling with your conscious mind.
You acknowledge good and bad emotions, address challenging situations, and experience every second of your existence without judgment or attachment, knowing that every fleeting second is precious and not allowing any of them to fly by without your notice.
But, when you allow yourself to drift through life, you feel like an observer watching as you go through the motions.
Nothing feels meaningful, not even the things you once felt deeply about.
Some of the signs that you might be drifting through life are:
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You’re working a job that you didn’t want but instead found yourself doing out of necessity.
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Your life feels like it was handed to you and not something that you desired or achieved.
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You feel like most of what you do is busy work, not the meaningful things you’d like to do.
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You constantly fall into ruts where you don’t exercise, eat healthily, or take care of yourself.
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You can’t seem to get out of debt or stop living from paycheck to paycheck.
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You do things that aren’t important instead of focusing on what matters to you the most.
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You never think about what you want from life.
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You feel like you don’t spend enough time with your loved ones.
What are the Benefits of Conscious Living?
There are many researched-based benefits of conscious living, I will be covering some of the most important benefits.
Unwavering Happiness
Life is full of ups and downs. Living consciously won’t change that, but it will allow you to savor the bad times as much as you enjoy the good timesbecause you understand that they won’t last.
Once you learn the pattern of life and see the rich cocktail of pleasant and hard times before you, you’ll embrace it all, knowing that no matter what happens, you’re in total control of how you feel.
Reduced Stress
When you live consciously, your mind stays in the present and doesn’t fixate on problems or things out of your control. You become more relaxed and happier when you appreciate life for what it is instead of anticipating the worst at every turn.
Controlled Emotions
When you live consciously, you don’t react to situations; you respond to them. So instead of letting your emotions control your actions in challenging situations, you use critical thinking skills to ponder the best ways to resolve them.
Contentment
Staying in the moment as you live your life helps you realize just how little you need to be happy. Living consciously makes you want less and teaches you to express gratitude for what you have rather than worry about you lack.
Benevolence
When you’re aware of the enormous impact your existence has on the world, not just your family or immediate neighbors, you’re more willing to do good for others because you comprehend the interdependent nature of humanity.
Charity
Living consciously frees you from material desires. No matter how much you give, you always feel like you have enough.
How to Live Consciously
Now let’s talk about how to implement parts of your life into conscious living so that you can reap the benefits.
How do you start living consciously?
Well, the quickest way to start living consciously is to slow down the pace of your daily life. Take time to think about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Ask yourself what matters to you most, then do it slowly and deliberately.
Living a conscious life is living a meaningful life, focusing your attention on the ordinary rituals you perform on autopilot. All it takes to reclaim these moments is thoughtfulness and consideration.
1. Life Goals
Conscious living entails staying focused on your most important life goals and shutting every other distraction out. It is an ongoing process that requires you to continuously remind yourself of what’s important to you and take every step possible to achieve it.
2. Consumerism
Being conscious about your life requires that you account for all your material possessions, especially the things you spend your money on. Sure, it might seem like a trivial amount, but have you considered the actual cost of each purchase you make?
Every $10 you work for represents hours of your life that you’ll never get back. Is it right to spend your life, energy, and time working to afford what you think you need?
Besides, the actual cost of the things you buy isn’t the price tag that comes attached to them; it is the work it takes to maintain them, the stress it takes to protect them, and the space it consumes in your life.
So if you’re confident that whatever you’re buying will gradually end up in the garbage bin, then what’s the point?
3. Social Media
Social media is the most significant distraction of our time. It is akin to a fantasy land that we visit to escape reality by looking at other people’s fake realities.
It is a mental drain that deceives us to think that our lives are not as good as they should be and that happiness comes from possessing certain things or living in a particular fashion.
While there’s no evidence that quitting social media will make you any happier, reducing the number of distractions in your life will give you more time to focus your attention on staying in the present.
4. Health
How many times have you ignored pain or discomfort just because it “didn’t feel that serious?” Part of being conscious is acknowledging your state of health. Don’t put off that dentist’s appointment just because the toothache went away.
Exercise regularly because you know it’s good for you, even when it feels exhausting and unnecessary.
Taking care of yourself is an ongoing process that requires awareness and drive. Trust that what you’re doing is necessary for your good health, no matter how inconsequential it may seem in the moment.
5. Work
Many float through their careers doing the bare minimum just to bring a paycheck home. That often leads to feelings of unfulfillment and dissatisfaction.
Work is not always glamorous, but that doesn’t mean you should spend your days on autopilot. Instead, savor even the dullest of activities because that’s precisely what life is about.
Practice being aware of your day-to-day no matter how much you’re used to doing the same things.
6. Family Life
The key to never taking your family for granted is being present. Life happens right before our very eyes, and it is up to us to sit up and notice it.
When spending time with your family, make sure you give them your undivided attention. Take part in family activities wholeheartedly and savor every moment, good or bad, because they never come around again.
7. Living in the Now
It’s not easy, but maintaining constant awareness is vital when living consciously. It’s all too easy to switch off when we feel like a task is boring or repetitive.
But allowing our minds to wander, even when acting out of habit, deprives us of the simple joys of the everyday activities in which we take part.
8. Eating and Drinking
Living consciously helps us to practice moderation. Since your mind is present at all times, it’s not easy to overindulge in the things we tend to allow ourselves too much of.
For example, it’s all too easy to eat to make ourselves feel better. Similarly, we may elect to drink too much to avoid unpleasant feelings and situations.
In reality, these uncomfortable scenarios are an integral part of life. You can’t have a rainbow without some rain, and if you wish to experience life in its unfiltered beauty, it is necessary to live through the hard parts as well.
9. Media Devices
For some of us, media devices provide an escape from our real lives. But that kind of distraction can be disillusioning, which is particularly dangerous.
While media devices provide an avenue for entertainment and relaxation, they shouldn’t be our whole lives.
10. Conscious Relationships
We take relationships for granted once we get settled into a familiar routine. But, for a relationship to thrive, it requires ongoing efforts. Are you spending enough time with your partner? Do you consistently show your appreciation for them? What can you do to make your relationship better?
If you’re not constantly reviewing your relationships, you’re letting yourself into a rut that’s difficult to escape from.
Take Conscious Living with You
It’s not that our lives don’t have a purpose. On the contrary, most of us spend our days doing the things that matter most. But, even though we might do all the right things, we never stop to think about how we live each day.
Living consciously is all about slowing down to literally smell the flowers and accepting what you feel, even if it’s unpleasant.
It’s about being grateful for what you have and savoring even the most boring moments of your life. To live consciously is to live a happy life.
