5 Simple Ways To Be More Mindful
Start 2023 by introducing these easy mindful practices into your daily life.
Do you ever wonder how much time you spend being in the moment? By this, I mean fully engaged in the very thing that you are doing, just being present and experiencing life pass by without your mind wandering into the past or future.
Whether we are ruminating about a past event, going over our to-do list, or projecting into the future, we leave no time to be fully aware of the now! Our minds seem to spontaneously rush through time, causing us to miss out on what is happening in the present moment. However, by living more mindfully and incorporating these simple mindful practices into our daily lives we are able to be present and experience life in the now.
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.
Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing via your senses, or to your state of mind via your thoughts and emotions, you are being mindful. Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where you are and what you are doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around you. It is something we all naturally possess and is available to us in every moment, however it’s not something that comes naturally for us, especially with the many distractions that take our attention and focus elsewhere. Most of us are now addicted to our technology, constantly checking our news feed, email or texts and are bombarded with information overload. The day goes by without us even checking in with ourselves, let alone spending time practising mindfulness, which ironically ends up making us feel disconnected and unhappy. Then when we do finally slow down we tend to feel guilty for doing so, like there’s some kind of rule telling us that we need to be busy in every given moment to be productive and make the most of our time.
Why should we practice mindfulness?
Being mindful helps us to slow down and enjoy the little things. Mindfulness has many proven benefits from reducing anxiety, depression and chronic pain to improving sleep and reducing stress. People that practise mindfulness regularly tend to have more control over their emotions, allowing them to have a better handle of stress. Practising mindfulness can help you to stay focused and increase your attention span, as well as, helping you to check in with yourself, allowing you to connect with your thoughts and feelings more clearly.
With the start of 2022 upon us, it is the perfect time to reflect and vow to do better for ourselves by learning to live more mindfully. Here are 5 simple ways you can add mindfulness into your daily routine;
1 | Journaling
Journaling can help reduce stress, evoke mindfulness, promote emotional healing, increase self-awareness and nurture self-growth. It is a great way to help you remain present while keeping perspective, giving you a chance to slow down, breathe, and “get real” about what you are really thinking and feeling.
Writing down your thoughts and feelings allows you to release them. Often things get us down and can consume our thoughts. For instance, if someone said something that upset or annoyed you, you can’t go around shouting about it, but it bothered you? Write it down, and release. By writing it down you are allowing yourself to work through and let go of that emotion, helping you to come back to the present moment rather than being lost in your thoughts and emotions.
Journaling can help you become more centred and connected with your thoughts. Sitting down and taking the time to check in with your feelings has been proven to reduce stress and help boost your mood
“Journaling is a profound—and simple—way to get to know yourself better. To figure out what makes you tick. What makes you happy. What makes you defensive. What makes you giggle or grateful or grieve. What makes you who you are.” - Jill Schoenberg
If you are not much a writer or the idea of journalling feels a little overwhelming or unnatural, you could start by jotting down 3 things you are grateful for each day. When we practice gratitude, we focus our attention on what is positive in our lives in the present moment. It brings the good stuff to the forefront of our mind so that we are able to more easily focus on it, instead of fretting about the future or ruminating on the past. By focusing on the positive we then become more available to create a more positive future. This is a great practice to introduce into your nighttime routine as it gives you time to reflect on the day, and also can help to rewire your brain into thinking more positively.
2 | Yoga
For me, yoga has become a daily practice. When I first started practising yoga I wasn’t fully aware of its benefits and the impact it would have on my life, and now I can’t go a day without it, whether is a simple 10-minute Asana practice or an hour practice, I find a way to incorporate it into my daily life.
Both yoga and mindfulness aim to quiet the mind, in order to cultivate a deeper connection and understanding of the self. They both teach you to tune into your breath, pay attention to bodily sensations, and learn to accept reality as it is in the moment. To get the most out of your Asana practice and embrace as much mindfulness as you can, try to follow these steps. Remove your phone from the situation. Start slow, notice how each move feels and connect it to your breath. If you’re in a class with others, resist the urge to compete, go with your body doing as much or as little as feels good! Both yoga and mindfulness aim to quiet the mind, in order to cultivate a deeper connection to and understanding of the self. They both teach you to tune into your breath, pay attention to bodily sensations, and learn to accept reality as it is in that moment.
If you enjoy reading and are looking to incorporate mindful yoga into your life I recommend reading “The Practice of Mindful Yoga: A Connected Path to Awareness” by Hannah Moss. I first read this book when I began practising yoga more consistently and it had a massive impact on my mindset and yoga practice. Not only does the book discuss how to practice yoga mindfully but also how to live a mindful yogi lifestyle.
3 | Start your day with intention
Most of us start the morning by enjoying a hot tea or coffee. You can turn this mundane part of your morning routine into mindful practice by taking the time to enjoy the moment and pay attention to your senses. Put your phone aside and just sit enjoying the moment. Choose a mug you love, smell the tea or coffee and embrace your senses. Then enjoy your drink in peace, taking the time to enjoy each sip, noticing how it feels and tastes. This brings your awareness to the here and now. Bringing mindfulness into a simple activity like this can help us to control our awareness and break away from being in autopilot.
4 | Eat slowly and mindfully
Eating is something we do on a daily basis but how often do you really taste your food and appreciate it? Mealtime can be a very mindful part of your day if you take the time to truly experience your food, rather than eating quickly and absent-mindedly.
Instead of watching TV whilst you eat or scrolling through your phone, take the time to sit quietly and just be in the present moment, being aware of each bite by engaging your senses. When you eat, be present with your food and engage your senses. Notice your body's signals about when you're getting full and pay more attention to what's on your plate. When you become more intentional about what you're eating, you'll be better equipped to focus on fueling your body with the nutrition it needs.
How to eat more mindfully;
eat slowly - appreciate your food
don’t eat past being full - listen to your body and stop, don’t overeat
when eating, just eat - remove any distractions
engage your senses - notice colours, smells, sounds, textures, and flavours. Not only is this a simple way to introduce mindfulness into your daily life, but it can also promote weight loss, reduce binge eating, and help you feel better overall.
5 | Mindful listening
Can you listen without agreeing or disagreeing, liking or disliking, or planning what you will say when it is your turn? When talking, can you just say what you need to say without overstating or understating? Can you notice how your mind and body feel? Most of the time when others speak we are so in our heads trying to think of how we are going to respond that we don’t truly listen. We often end up tuning out about halfway before the person is even finished with their thought. When we listen mindfully, we are fully present with what we’re hearing without trying to control it or judge it. We let go of our inner chatter and our usual assumptions, and instead, we listen with respect to precisely what is being said.
At some point during your day, when you’re having a conversation, try actively listening by putting your full attention on the other person. Listen with your ears, heart and intuition. Practice mindful listening and observe whether the quality of your conversations changes.
I hope you found this blog post helpful. Please let me know if you have tried using any of these simple ways to add mindfulness into your daily routine.
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