From the grocery list to the laundry pile to the bills to the car maintenance to the dental appointment to the pet de-fleaing and the cracked phone screen, life is filled with those annoying admin jobs that seem to take up every spare moment and speck of energy.

Needless to say, it’s understandable if it’s been a while since you managed a little mindfulness in your life.

R U OK Day is just one day of the year to ask yourself and those around you how they’re doing. Really doing. But don’t forget to keep up the habit all year round, and give mindfulness a little more time in your own life.

Here are five awesome reasons why you should.

 1. It can give you more control over your life

Declutter your brain, be present in the world around you, and stop letting all those life admin tasks take over. What’s left will be the ability to find greater focus on what’s happening in the here and now. Mindfulness is great at being able to give you that sense of clarity you need to stop feeling like everything is spinning out of control – so you can take the reins on your life again.

 2. It can improve your relationships

It’s no secret that positive people attract others like magnets. When you’re in a stable and happy from of mind, others will subconsciously take notice and enjoy being in your company more. This goes for partners, family, friends, colleagues, and even strangers.

Plus, mindfulness can help you take a step back on those fickle arguments we all fall prey to. Ideally, you’ll be able to see the other person’s point of view more clearly, step back from your hurt feelings, and find a way to move past the issue. It’s all about putting things in perspective.

 3. It can help you sleep

Have you ever laid in bed wide awake because there are just too many thoughts chasing their own tails in your head? You’re certainly not the only one.

This usually happens when you’ve simply got so much on your plate that you can’t stop thinking about all the things you need to get done tomorrow, this week, or this weekend. Being more mindful can help you put aside your to-do list and get some much-needed rest so you’ll actually have enough energy to get through those busy days.

 4. It can decrease your stress levels

As many as 75 per cent of Australians admitted that stress affected their physical health, and 64 per cent said it had an impact on their mental health, according to a 2016 study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Help do your bit to reduce the stress epidemic by taking time to be mindful. Many common mindfulness techniques such as meditating, deep breathing, and focusing on the present can result in reduced levels of stress.

 5. It can help you improve your eating habits

Most of us are guilty of opening a fresh packet of biscuits or bag of chips then looking down a couple of hours later to realise we’ve eaten the whole lot. This kind of eating pattern happens when you’re not really thinking about what you’re doing.

If you’re mindful when you’re eating, you’ll be able to enjoy the taste and texture of each bite. You’ll focus on how you’re feeling and whether you actually want more – or if you’re just eating because it’s in front of you. And as an added bonus, when you eat less of the bad stuff and more of the good stuff, you’ll start to feel healthier, too.