How To Use Vivid Visions

Regular journaling is an effective and easy way to implement mindfulness - one page at a time. Vivid Visions are effective journals that serve as practical places for your thoughts, emotions, and daily reflections. Together with Mindful Coloring you have a powerful combination to relieve stress, improve concentration and enhace mood.

We understand that life is busy, and sometimes all you need is a simple space to collect your thoughts. Vivid Visions journals are perfect for beginners as well as established practicioners. Bring mindfulness into your life - one mindful move at a time.

How To

Here is a short suggestion on how to start: 1. Find a quiet and comfortable space where you won't be interrupted, put your smartphone away. 2. Use the weekly prompt to set an intention for your journaling or coloring practice. 3. Remind youself of the three principals: on purpose, in the present moment, nonjudgmental. 4. Take a few deep breaths to center yourself and calm your mind. 5. Take your pen and just do it. 6. Reflect afterward and observe any patterns or insights that emerge.

The journaling can be as short as five minutes, it's the regularity that yields the results - try to journal every day. Doing it at the same time of day makes it even easier. Go over your thoughts after some weeks, to reflect again.

Never Miss Twice

Sometimes, life gets in the way, making it unrealistic to expect that you are going to write the journal every day for the rest of the year.

Planing for potential setbacks is not the same as expecting to fail. When you missed one day, you can avoid empty boxes by writing "Never miss twice" into them the next day. Use a skipped day not as a reason to beat yourself up, but instead let it be a motivation to show up tomorrow. So: start small, with one page at a time.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness describes a practice of focused attention and awareness. Kabat-Zinn (Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Context: Past, Present, and Future; 2003) defines mindfulness as:
"the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment". Let's take a closer look at these three parts.

The Present Moment

"There is only now. And look! How rich we are in it." says Vanna Bonta in her book "Shades of the World".

You can embrace the richness of the moment in every activity, being it dishwashing, walking in nature, meditating or journaling and coloring. Researchers mention that the access code for mindfulness in the present moment is your acceptance. The authors observed that getting closer to the monitored experience and accepting it, has benefits for the brain, emotions, stress, and health in general. Writing it down in a journal can be a first step of accepting. And while coloring some kind of mistake will happen - a great opportunity for acceptance of the present moment.

Paying Attention On Purpose

"The simple act of paying attention can take you a long way." - Keanu Reeves.

Paying attention seems to ba a simple task, but in the 21st century distraction is quite more common. So how can we come back? Find a purpose, like a journal or a pre-drawn illustration and the attention will follow. Try it out, use these pages to improve your focus and attention.

Non-Judgemental

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them." - Mother Teresa.

Same goes for yourself, judging your own actions prevents self-love. By being nonjudgmental, mindfulness helps in reducing harsh self-criticism and negative self-talk. It promotes a gentler, more compassionate approach to dealing with one's own thoughts and feelings, an attitude of curiosity and openness towards all aspects of the human experience, creating a more accepting and compassionate relationship with oneself and the world.

Benefits

Research shows that a simple activity like coloring with focused attention tends to relax the brain. This results in fewer disturbances from intrusive thoughts and potentially negative self-appraisals. The significance of maintaining a regular mindfulness practice can not be overstated. This book is here to help you to keep that positive regularity.