Mindfulness is a practice that encourages us to bring our attention to the present moment. This can have many proven benefits for our health and wellbeing, including a reduction in stress, tension and anxiety. When we consistently practice mindfulness, we become more aware of what is going on within us and around us, supporting us to overcome negative and detrimental emotions, such as fear and worry. Here, in this article, are 5 ways you can be more mindful each day.
How often do you dash through your day, doing things without thinking because your mind and thoughts are elsewhere? It’s easy to go about our day in a mindless way, rarely noticing our surroundings, or even how we are feeling within. Taking simple steps to be more mindful each day can really make a difference to how we live our lives, how we feel and how we cope with challenging times.
Mindfulness is an act of observing, in a non-judgemental way and with your attention in the present moment. If you find your mind wandering onto worrying about something in the future, or remembering something negative about the past, gently acknowledge your thoughts, let them go and bring your focus back to the present.
Here are 5 Ways To Be More Mindful Each Day
Take Time for Breakfast
To bring mindfulness to your breakfast time, take 10 minutes out of your morning to focus ONLY on your breakfast, making sure you are on your own and there are no distractions. Turn off the television or radio and bring your attention to the present moment and take a few deep breaths until you feel calm. Now go about eating your breakfast, but take your time, chewing slowly and noting the taste of your food. Look at your food, taking note of the colours, textures, shapes and sizes. Can you smell anything? How do you feel?
Try mindful eating this way, by beginning with your breakfast at least three times a week. Then you can gradually build it up to include your other meals. You will find you can appreciate and taste your food a lot more than usual, and over time you may notice a reduction in tension and stress, when you eat food in a mindful way.
Breathing Exercises
Taking a few minutes, even just one minute, every day to practice deep breathing can be very benefical. Try a simple breathing technique by closing your eyes and breathing in through your nose to the count of four. Hold to the count of seven, then breath out through your mouth to the count of eight. As you do this imagine a bright healing white light entering your nostrils, and grey unwanted energy leaving your body on your out breath. Repeat this several times and note how it makes you feel.
Some benefits of breathing properly are:
- Feelings of peace and relaxation
- Increase in creativity
- Brings clarity of mind
- Promotes detoxification and healing
- Increases energy
- Increases oxygen levels and improves circulation
Go for a Short Walk
Even if you can only find 5 minutes during your lunchtime for a short walk, this still adds up and helps you bank more mindful points in your day. Choose somewhere where you can connect with nature. Bring your awareness to your surroundings and use as many of your senses as you can to fully appreciate this moment. What can you hear? What can you see? What can you smell? How do you feel?
Listen out for birds singing, leaves on the trees rustling and people chatting and laughing. Look at the shapes, colours and textures of your surroundings; from the height of trees, to the colours of flowers and plants. Tune into any smells in this moment; try to detect any floral scents wafting on the breeze, or even the perfume of a person you walk past. Bring your awareness within for a few seconds. Note how you are feeling. This brief exercise should help you to feel calmer and more relaxed.
Cooking Mindfully
Preparing a meal in a mindful manner, is another great way to be more mindful each day. Ideally you would prepare the food with minimal distractions, so you can really be in the moment. If you are cutting up vegetables, listen for the sounds of the chopping, watch how the knife glides through the vegetables, and note any aromas that hit your nose from the act of chopping. Before carrying on, take a moment to bring your attention within and note the rhythm of your breathing. Are you feeling relaxed? When you are ready, begin to cook your meal and once again bring your focus to the sounds, sights and smells of the food as it cooks.
Bringing a mindful focus to meal preparation can bring greater awareness and enjoyment of your food, as well as releasing tension and decreasing stress.
Gratitude
Practicing gratitude at the end of each day helps you to appreciate the smaller things in your life, shifting your mindset to positive aspects in your day, and boosting your mood. As you are ready to drop off to sleep at night, give thanks for at least ten things that you have been grateful for during the day. These could be the people you had encountered, the food you had eaten, or something that had gone particularly well.
Gratitude forms an element of a mindfulness practice. Try doing this as often as you can, and you may find you enjoy and look forward to doing this, as you build this new healthy daily habit.
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