Why Mindfulness is Not Enough

Image via Vogue France

I love meditation, and credit mindfulness as a game-changer in my life, but if you’re stopping at zen, you’re missing a huge opportunity to create the life of your dreams. Mindfulness is defined as being aware of our thoughts and the present moment, which is the first step in getting off the stressful hamster wheel of life. Becoming mindful means you are not your thoughts, and can witness them as a responsive 3rd party, instead of letting them run the show.

While mindfulness brings you the calm and ease, it doesn’t change your situational environment. Often times stress and anxiety are the universe’s way of telling you that something in your life isn’t fitting, or serving your highest purpose. Before I hit my rock bottom of mental illness and burnout, I was waking up stressed about work, feeling miserable during work, not taking care of myself in favour of doing more work, and then once I left work, I’d either stress about it some more, or complain about my job when I was out with my friends or on dates. I didn’t understand what “living with purpose” meant, and I certainly did not know to get there.

Mindfulness and meditation gave me the gift or releasing stress around my to-dos and triggering situations, but it didn’t change the landscape I was living in. It wasn’t until I defined my values, that I came to see how far off course I had gotten from living my truth, and started taking action towards a more vibrant and authentic life.

When the life you’ve created is no longer fitting, you may feel uncomfortable (low, miserable, depressed, anxious, etc.). This is a sign to do things differently. The good news is that it doesn’t take a new job, or bigger home to create shifts. It starts with incorporating small, and doable habits that make you feel the way you want to feel. By defining your values, you get clear on what makes life worth living for you, and are able to easily incorporate habits/activities that bring you those feelings.

We’re all chasing happiness, but it’s our responsibility to define what brings us joy, and to do more of it in our lives. By taking small and manageable action steps focused on your values, you’ve already shifted to living in alignment and with purpose. When you feel good, you want to keep the habits that make you feel this way, bringing you on an upwards trajectory.

By taking small and manageable action steps focused on your values, you’ve already shifted to living in alignment and with purpose. And I promise, it feels incredible!