Importance Of Intentional Living (Tips On How To Live Intentionally)

I’ve heard this term, “Intentional living”, floating around for days now. And I’m sure, like me, you’ve also heard about “being intentional in life” or “creating an intentional life” in passing – maybe in a casual conversation, a social media trend, or maybe in a wellness article. But do you understand what intentional living means?

In the race to become successful in our endeavors, we often breeze through life, not really noticing the little moments, the little experiences in our lives.

When our daily life is influenced by others instead of our purpose, then it’s not a life you’re living intentionally. Intentional living means living with clarity – in your life’s purpose, your beliefs, and your values.

In this blog, let’s explore the meaning of intentional living, the psychological importance of living intentionally, and how you can live intentionally.

What is Intentional Living?

Intentional living is about creating your life while being mindful of your beliefs, values, and your purpose in life. When you live intentionally, you don’t act on your impulses but become mindful and take charge of your day.

One example of intentional living can be; when you purposefully add your favorite activity into your daily self-care routine or go on long walks with your partner to align your physical activity with spending quality time with your partner.

Intentional living is about becoming a better version of yourself by recognizing the areas of your life that you can (or would like to) make the best use of. This will not only improve your life satisfaction but will also help you reach your goals and dreams with minimal effort and maximal results.

What It’s Not…

While intentional living can be a great step towards your overall wellness journey, it can’t always be easy or peaceful. More often than not, creating an intentional life can be challenging and awkward, especially if you’re a beginner.

There’s a chance you’ll realize that the values and beliefs you’ve inherited from your family or have learned in your childhood, culture, or society are not aligned with your purpose anymore. And making your peace with this can be a lot tougher than you might imagine.

As you get closer to your purpose or what matters to you – emotionally, spiritually, or culturally – you may distance yourself from relationships or situations that may distract you from your beliefs. This feeling can be quite unpleasant and can cause distress.

No matter how tough intentional living may get, the important thing is to keep going and remind yourself of your purpose and how what matters to you aligns with your beliefs, values, and purpose.

Why Does Intentional Living Matter?

There’s deep psychological importance of intentional living. Living with intentionality can be good for your mental health, how?

For one, intentional living gives you power and control over your life. Living with intentionality means not living a life that is influenced by others’ expectations. When you’re clear on what matters to you and what you want from life, you take control of your life, you gain clarity, and spend your time doing what makes you feel good and helps you become a better person.

Intentional living, in a way, means gaining freedom from others’ expectations, not caring about what others think or believe, and focusing on your values, beliefs, needs, and purpose.

Second, it helps you avoid being regretful in your life. I’ve heard many people say that they regret not choosing what they loved doing in their life. They lived a life where they were successful but did not have many memorable and meaningful experiences.

You can live your life working in a job that gives you financial security and satisfaction. You can live your life pleasing others and living up to others’ expectations but will it make you happy in the end?

When you live intentionally, you live a life where you make yourself and your values a priority over others’ expectations. You live a life where you choose doing what you love over what others think is right for you.

Third, intentional living can lower your stress. How? Well, when you live with intentionality, you stop worrying about every little thing that causes you anxiety. You guide your life based on your beliefs and values.

In a 2021 study,

it was found that participants who took value-based actions for 21 days had a low distress level and better well-being. Similarly, in a 2019 study, it was found that students who took value-based actions had a higher ability to deal with stress and stressful situations.

How To Live Life Intentionally?

However you choose to live life, the key is finding the thing/experience that aligns with your purpose in life. You can try these tips for intentional living:

1. Eliminate Distractions

Living in the world of social media, it’s easy to get distracted and stray away from your beliefs and values. Try to eliminate these distractions like social media, toxic or negative people, or anything that distances you from your purpose.

2. Do What You Want

We all have responsibilities but some of those responsibilities can take a seat on the back burner while you focus on doing what you want first. Take some time and figure out what makes you happy and do that. Make sure that you have this activity in your schedule every day.

3. Set An Intention

To make sure you stay in tune with your purpose and values every day, set an intention. This intention can be a few words or a sentence but it should be something that reminds you of how to act and make decisions. You can make this step a morning ritual too.

4. Become More Mindful

Living intentionally doesn’t need to start from scratch. You can simply make certain adjustments to your daily routine to create an intentional life. The best way to do this is to become more mindful in your life. For example, you can try to focus on your senses when cooking or cleaning or reminding yourself as you do your chores, why you’re doing this.

5. Journal Your Day

Journaling is a great tool to see how well your intentional living is helping you and how well you contributed to your purpose in life. At night, you can journal and keep track of your intention. This can be a good way to keep a track of your progress, especially if you’re a beginner.

6. Give Yourself A Break

Being intentional in life also means being kind and forgiving with yourself. You’re bound to make mistakes, you’re human after all but don’t let those mistakes deter you. Practice positive self-talk and validate your experiences. Don’t judge when you fall instead give yourself room to breathe.

Wrap Up

Intentional living is not a new concept but it’s something that’s gradually gaining popularity. Intentional living isn’t all about being mindful in your actions but it’s about understanding what makes you happy, what gives your life a purpose and then taking steps to align your life with your life’s purpose.

It’s time you stop living a life based on others’ expectations and live a life where you value experiences, clarity, and your purpose. Spend time doing things you love and what makes you happy.

Being intentional in life is about staying true to yourself and taking steps that bring you closer to what matters most to you.

I hope this article on how intentional living is important helps you. For more, you can write to us at info@calmsage.com. You can also share your thoughts in the comments below or DM us your thoughts on social media.

Take Care!