To be mindful means to be non-judgmentally aware of the present moment, including self, surroundings and others. Bringing mindfulness into your daily life can improve your ability to focus, reduce unnecessary stress and help you enjoy a greater quality of life.
Follow these tips to bring a daily dose of mindfulness into your life:
- Before you get out of bed in the morning or check any of your devices, observe five deep inhales and exhales.
- Practice Mindfulness Meditation for 10-20 minutes after waking up.
- When you shower, experiment with changing the water temperature from warm to cool and back again, taking deep breaths and noticing the way the different temperatures feel.
- Notice the way your body moves and feels as you stand, walk or sit. Try to maintain an equal distribution of weight on both sides as you stand or sit. Notice your spinal alignment and try to maintain a straight spine.
- Practice mindful listening throughout the day, whether you are listening to the radio, listening to someone talk or simply hearing sounds from your surrounding environment. Try to get to the heart of what is being said when conversing with others.
- Practice mindful eating when you sit down for each meal. If you can, put your devices away and simply focus on the act of eating. Notice as many flavors and sensations as possible. Appreciate where each meal came from.
- Before making an important phone call, or meeting a client, take a moment to do mindful breathing.
- Do one thing at a time. When juggling work tasks, prioritize your tasks and do them individually rather than multitasking.
- Know when to unplug from your devices. Try to avoid compulsively checking your phone without awareness or intention.
- Look at the world around you with a new set of eyes. Try to notice details that you haven’t noticed before. Use all five senses to engage with your environment.
- Observe your emotions without judgment. If you find yourself feeling frustrated with a colleague or family member, observe your emotion rather than demonstrating it with actions. Acknowledge difficult emotions without necessarily reacting to them.
- Get outside. Going for a walk, run or bike ride, either alone or with someone else, can help ground you, release stress and help you feel connected to the natural world.
SOURCE: Illumination Institute
