If you practice yoga or are familiar with ancient eastern spirituality, you know what a mantra is. Broken down and translated into English, the Sanskrit word mantra means “vehicle of the mind.” And repetition of mantras can transform habits, practices, and even mindsets. Here are 10 ways you can use the transformative power of mantras to effect positive change in your life.
Appreciate the little things
Setting ambitious goals and working toward them is one way to achieve what you need or want to achieve. But when relatively little progress is made, the process becomes daunting. Stay mindful of the progress you make, recognizing stepping stones and celebrating mini-victories along the way.
Calm your mind
It is easy for anxiety to overtake the human mind, particularly in the modern world. Mantras like “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” “Keep calm and carry on,” and “It’s not the end of the world” can help still your mind. If you practice yoga or meditation, you may find the om mantras useful here. A calm mind is a mindful one.
Divine inspiration
It is easier to muster energy and motivation to complete tasks when you feel inspired to do so. Ideally, inspiration comes from within. If you struggle to divine inspiration from a particular task, come up with a mantra related to the completion of that task.
Stay motivated
Absent inspiration, motivation is essential for the efficient and satisfactory completion of tasks. This is true at work, at the gym, in your apartment, and elsewhere. To find and maintain motivation, it is helpful to meditate on something you’ll get to enjoy when a task is finished–like sleep or a meal.
Stay focused
Through the use of mantra, you can access heightened levels of awareness that sharpen focus and attention. In yoga, this focus is usually on breath or improving muscle memory. At work, it will more likely be on improving a skill or finishing a specific deliverable.
Find joy in the mundane
Some people find comfort in monotony, especially as it pertains to a routine. Unless you’re one of them, employ mantras that focus on silver linings to make the mundane more enjoyable. You can do this by focusing on the purpose of a task or making a game out of a chore.
Keep a tidier apartment
Unless you find cleaning therapeutic, housekeeping is an area where it’s advantageous to enjoy the mundane. Decide what you need to do differently to maintain a tidier apartment, and figure out a system to stay on track. Mantras about the importance of keeping a tidy home can help.
Tap into your creativity
Regardless of how creative you consider yourself, your imagination contains creative power you can tap. Mantras reminding you of this fact can help you tap into this power and counteract any forces that lead you to believe you lack creativity.
Embrace your uniqueness
Each of us is at least a little different from the next. This keeps the world interesting. If you struggle to identify and embrace your unique individuality, turn to mantras for help.
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View All Posts by Jason Ernst