Among the gay population, and everyone else really, there’s a pandemic of absentmindedness. We have so many things surrounding us at all times that we completely forget how to be mindful. And it gets even worse when all the things surrounding us are violent and evil—wars, hate crimes, disease and environmental loss. So how can a regular gay guy like you find their center and help their mental health recover? Well, you can try practicing mindfulness.
Aim your focus
We can’t help it, us gays are just awesome at multitasking. However, instead of sipping on your drink, listening to the TV and watching Tiktok at the same time, you can try to aim your focus to one thing at a time. This might be a very banal example, but you can use this focus aiming with everything in your life. When doing a task at work, focus on one task at a time. When spending time with your gay partner, try to give them your undivided attention. When you’re being intimate with your partner or yourself, feel every touch instead of letting your mind wander.
Do some moving
Every time you move your body, you’re training your brain to be more aware of your position in the environment. This movement allows you to experience many sensations and practice mindful behaviors. For instance, when in the gym, try to focus on strengthening not only your glutes but also your brain/muscle connection. When exercising in nature, take a look around, feel the freeze on your skin and watch how your feet hit the ground. When practicing yoga, focus on your breathing and the smoothness of your movements.
Try meditation
Most imagine meditation as something reserved for Buddhist monks or Steve Jobs type of people, but this passive activity is something available to every human. All you need is 20 minutes away from your phone twice a day to practice your transcendental meditation and you’ll create valuable habits that will help you experience every day to the fullest. You can use meditation when you need to shift your focus from work tasks to your gay partner or prepare for a stress-free night of dancing and fun. After only a few days, you’ll feel a much-improved flow of your day.
Love your food
While you are what you eat, you don’t have to limit your daily diet to snacks only. Mindfulness in the kitchen can have a big impact on your life. By consciously choosing healthy and nutritious foods for your meals, you’re keeping your body healthy, your mind strong and your brain present. Most experts recommend you eat at the dinner table and keep your environment free of distractions. You can arrange your food nicely on the plate, play soft music and light a candle. Since we eat our food will all our senses (we smell it, taste it, see it, even touch it), it’s important for it to get the attention it deserves.
Limit your screen time
If you work on your laptop or need your phone for your job, that’s understandable, but otherwise, phones take up a lot of our time. It’s impossible how fast an hour or two flies by when you’re scrolling Tiktok or Instagram. To have more time for yourself, your partner and your gay community, try to limit your device use. This can be done with the power of will or you can use apps that lock things like social media and help you get rid of your addiction. When you don’t have your phone in your hands all the time, you can pay more attention to the world around you and be much more mindful.
Mindfulness is a gift that you can give to yourself today. Follow these tips above and you’ll start noticing many beautiful things about this big and fabulous world and start cherishing everything from your queerness to your talents and your relationships.
