Have you ever wanted to bring more mindfulness into your life, but struggle to make time for it? Do you allow your busy schedule to dictate your life? Do you feel disengaged from the present moment, and from yourself? If you responded yes to any of those questions, then it’s important to practice the following mindfulness exercises for improved inner peace, clarity and self-awareness.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the ability to stay in the present moment and to focus your thoughts on what is happening in the here and now. It’s our ability to not think about the past or the future but to instead observe what is happening in the moment.
Why Should We Practice Mindfulness?
Being mindful has many proven benefits from reducing anxiety, depression and chronic pain to improving sleep and reducing stress. Mindfulness can help us stay centered in order to more effectively manage people (like our boss, children or mother-in-laws), or deal with external challenges that we have no control over (illness, death). That’s why I’m an advocate for getting schools to teach children about the benefits of this practice. The great thing about mindfulness is you don’t need to be associated with any particular religion to reap the benefits of the practice.
Let’s Practice – 20 Mindfulness Exercises
- Be in the present moment. Pay more attention to the simple things, like brushing your teeth (feel the way the bristles rub against your gums), eating a meal (consciously chew your food slowly and taste every bite), or washing the dishes (feel the warm water run down your hands, notice the smell of the soap, etc). Really try to be in that moment, no matter how mundane. It’s all about perspective.
- Make time for meditation. You might be thinking, “I have soo much to do between the kids and work, I don’t have time to meditate!” But that would be a lie, wouldn’t it? Instead of spending 15 minutes scrolling through Facebook memes during your lunch break, spend that short amount of time meditating. I promise, you will feel a whole lot better if you do. You can download a meditation app for guided meditations, body scans, chakras cleansings and more.
- Read. There are so many health benefits in doing so! If you aren’t sure where to start, take a look at my Buddhism and mindfulness book recommendations for beginners and advanced readers.
- Unplug from social media. Silence your phone, turn off the TV, shut down the Xbox, and don’t access social media (reddit counts, too!) for at least a couple of hours. A good time to do this is right before bed. Use that time to reflect on your day and check in with your emotions.
- Go for a mindful walk. Take deep breaths. Count your steps. Tune out the noise in your head and focus your senses on the natural world around you.
- Color / draw. My favorite way to wind down at night is with Mandalas for Meditation: Scratch-Off NightScapes. The meditative designs are in scratch form with multicolor backgrounds that spring to life when you scratch off the white lines. It’s fun, calm and relaxing!
- Brainstorm ways you can be more mindful. Take a journal, notebook or even a piece of copy paper and write down whatever comes to mind. Check out these mindfulness journals and prompts if you want specific recommendations!
- Exercise. I love doing yoga before meditating. It gives me time to connect with my body, which is just as important as connecting with your mind and spirit. When we focus our attention on our breath, we have no choice but to be in the present moment. And I’m sure I don’t need to mention the enormous health benefits that comes with exercising even just 30 minutes a day. If you’re overwhelmed by the thought, just start with 10 minutes a day until you feel strong enough to go longer. I went from 10-minute to 45 minute exercises after only 1 month of yoga classes. If I can do it, you can do it!
- Listen to others. Are you really listening when someone is talking to you, or are you just waiting for your turn? It’s very unmindful and especially rude when you tune someone out, especially if they really need a listening ear and a supportive friend. Even if you don’t have any advice to give, you can at least give them your undivided attention. Remind yourself to be in the present moment. You can think about those chores you have to do later.
- Learn to say no. Trust me, it’s OK to say no if it means avoiding a breakdown. Your mental and emotional state of being matter! Causing yourself anxiety and stress because you are afraid of what others will think of you is not going to do you any good. How are you going to take care of others if you can’t take care of yourself first?
- Inspire yourself. Take a couple of sticky notes and write down any inspiring quotes that will bring positivity and motivation to your day. You can view this list of Buddhism quotes for some ideas. Once you have a few in hand, stick them around the house. Choose to put them in places that you often pass by throughout your day. You may want to put one on your bathroom mirror, on your computer, on the fridge, etc.
- Be in nature. Whenever I start to get in a bad mood, I like to go outside, sit under a tree and observe my surroundings. This is my favorite thing to do in the Spring, Summer and Fall. Although I have a difficult time appreciating the cold winter days, I do like it when it snows. The beauty of nature is that it’s always changing. It reflects the cycle of rebirth and death, and I think it’s amazing to see it in action.
- Journal. Journaling is a great way to unwind and connect with your feelings and thoughts from the day. Journaling helps control your symptoms and improve your mood by helping you prioritize problems, fears, and concerns. Here is an example prompt to get you started – Make a list of all your positive qualities starting with “I am …”
- If you want more prompts or recommendations for a good journal, check out my article.
- Visualize your daily goals. When you have set your goals for the day take a moment to visualize them. Practicing this visualization will improve your mindfulness, until eventually it becomes your natural state of being. It will also give you a boost of motivation and energy that you may need in order to power through more challenging tasks.
- Show gratitude. Be grateful for what you have. Do your best to be mindful of what’s happening here and now, instead of what may potentially lie in the future. For example, I know I am being mindful when I pet my dog if my entire focus is on giving him love and affection, rather then thinking about what I have to cook for dinner.
- Form better habits (and quit the bad ones). The most important part of building a new habit is staying consistent. One technique you can try is called “stacking.” The best way to form a new habit is to tie it to an existing habit, so look for patterns in your day and think about how you can use existing habits to create new, positive ones! For example, I was really unmotivated to do the dishes. I would form any excuse in my head to distract me from doing it. But, I hated seeing them pile up in the sink, and eventually it started to attract fruit flies. I knew something had to be done. And so I decided that while I brew my cup of coffee in the morning, I will clean the dishes in the sink. And I’m happy to say that it’s been a successful attempt and is now an everyday part of my morning routine. Pick a healthy habit you’d like to form and give it a try.
- Acknowledge your feelings. At any given moment, ask yourself how you’re feeling. Make sure not to label the feeling as good or bad. Just observe what you feel, acknowledge it and let it go. Don’t get mad at yourself for feeling anxious. Breathe into it. Welcome the feeling with open arms. You will soon notice the intensity of the emotion dissipate.
- Smile. It might be a little odd to just stop whatever you’re doing and smile, especially if you’re busy/distracted and have no real reason to, but it can be beneficial in regulating your mood. Smiling releases endorphins which offers a mood boost! It’s a simple yet powerful expression that helps combat negative feelings, so even if you have to fake it at first, you’ll soon start to feel the positive effects.
- Improve your posture. Mindful postures enhance awareness of our body by bringing a greater sense of embodiment to our mindfulness. Body language is important for communication. If you are always slouched, you may give off the impression that you don’t want to be bothered. Sitting or standing in an upright and straighter position exudes an air of confidence and openness. That is the way of the warrior.
- Stop the rush. Ever been frustrated and overwhelmed by waiting in line or getting caught in traffic? There isn’t often much we can do in these situations and it can be a relief to remove the pressure we put on ourselves. Remind yourself that you’ll get to where you need to be as soon as you can and then practice calming yourself down with some deep breaths.
