In the past months I've been trying to live more intentionally and it has changed my life. So today, I would like to take the time and discuss what it means to live with intentionality and what small steps we can all take towards a more intentional life.
Intentional living brings more awareness into our daily life. It helps us shut off the 'auto-pilot' mode and really become tuned into our life and all its magnificent and messy moments.
What does it mean to live intentionally?
Intentional living helps connect your body, mind, and emotions, allowing you to live a healthier and happier life. It allows you to build emotional wellness and strength. It is the result of making conscious choices and taking aligned action that help you get closer to where you want to be in life and how you want to show up each day. It’s about defining what you want your life to look like and having a plan to move you towards that life, instead of following a predestined path.
Why should we strive towards a more intentional life?
Modern society and the modern workplace environment have set expectations that do not suit everyone's lives. As a result, people are not living intentional, emotionally balanced and conscious lives. This impacts our life quality and mental health.
By living intentionally, we are taking care of our mental health. And by looking after our mental health, we also end up with better overall health and wellness, stronger relationships, while we also get better at our jobs.
How to get there
In spite of what you might have heard, we do not need to be productive all the time. We do not need to have a perfect body, either. So, the first step to intentional living is to let go of these expectations. And with these expectations, we should learn to understand when something is enough for us. How much money is enough? How many clothes and gadgets? And even, how much work is enough work?
Another important way to maintain emotional and mental health balance is by limiting screen time, the amount of news we consume, and social media. Instead of consuming, we could take control of our leisure time and spend it with family, friends (or generally people who bring you the most joy), your pets, in nature or at home, or by reading books.
It is important to understand that the ultimate way of living an intentional life is by guarding your time, money and energy. Start being aware of time and the importance it has in your life. Start saying no to things that no longer serve you or bring your energy down, and saying yes to things that ignite passion and spark curiosity in your life. Also, be intentional with what you buy. Aim for purchased that make you feel good, instead of what's trending.
Comments