7 Ways to Add Mindfulness to Your Day
Mindfulness can be incorporated into every aspect of your day and added to your routine in any which way. Unlike meditation, it is not really an ‘activity’ – mindfulness is a skill that involves being present and aware of your surroundings while harnessing the ability to focus on and connect with your feelings, thoughts, beliefs, and the world around you.
As with any skill, mindfulness may not come easy to you when you first start out, and you may find yourself frequently getting distracted. However, one way to build this skill set is to imbue it into your day in an informal manner, as opposed to meditation, which can be seen as a more formal and a much longer mindfulness method.
Practicing mindfulness regularly can help you increase engagement, eat slower, reduce stress, and overall feel more at ease. These benefits prove why it’s important to continuously practice mindful moments, which is why I’m sharing seven easy ways to add more mindfulness into your life.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a simple act of being present and fully aware of what's happening as it's happening. When you practice mindfulness, it allows you to connect to the world around you and become more aware of your own thoughts, feelings, internal dialogue, beliefs, and patterns.
Mindfulness can be infused into pretty much anything and can be practiced both formally (as in meditation) or informally, during any time or place you are aware of the present moment.
Being mindful doesn’t always come easily as our minds are busy thinking all day. In order to build our capacity for mindfulness, it takes intention and practice.
How to Add Mindfulness Into Your Day
1. Mindful Nature Walking
The next time you’re on a walk outside, make it mindful. Leave your earphones and sunglasses at home; you want to notice every detail of your surroundings. Try to be observant and aware of the beautiful world around you. As you walk, listen to your footsteps, the sound of bikers cycling against the pavement or trail, the birds chirping in the trees, and the insects buzzing around you.
Think about the weather, and how the air feels against your skin. While the air conditioner is a great invention and is much needed at times, it doesn’t beat nature’s wind. Look at the beautiful blue sky, and how your surroundings change when clouds occasionally pass in front of the sun and it. Witness nature’s vibrant colors; the beautiful flowers, the lush greenery, and certain insects’ meticulously and strikingly colored skin or coating. In this digital era, we overlook the beauty of nature too often. Going for a mindful walk outside is a great way of unplugging, destressing, and giving your body the sunlight and the inner peace it needs.
2. Mindful Eating
Life can be so busy that we often find ourselves eating in a rush and on the go, at our desks or in our cars. We forget to appreciate our food, really focus on it, and express gratitude for it. It seems that when life gets busy the joy of eating shrinks into the background and is no longer truly appreciated.
The next time you have a meal, eliminate media distractions. Eat your food slowly, as this is better for you in the long run anyway – chew it properly, really notice its taste and how it feels on your tongue. Is it sweet, salty, or savory? What about its texture and temperature? Paying attention to your food and not rushing through your meal is not only better for your digestion and overall health, but also boosts your happiness and thankfulness, and helps you understand what it is you like in a meal. You may also find yourself more satisfied and eating less when you take the time to slow down at mealtime. Interested in learning exactly how to practice mindful eating? Watch my Mindful Eating 101 event here.
3. Mindful Exercise
Exercising is difficult – that’s no secret. If you’re really in your head, it can be even harder. Working out mindfully is especially helpful for beginners who may get caught up in their current self-image or body goals. The next time you exercise, try not to think about possible outcomes, how you want your body to look, and more. Rather, focus on your movements in the present – on making your form as good as you possibly can and really connecting to the different muscles you’re engaging.
Think about how good you feel while working on yourself, how good exercise is for your physical and mental health in general, and how good you’ll feel after you’ve finished. When you do this, you will feel much less discouraged given that it is a much less toxic manner of thinking about exercise. Try not to work out to burn calories or to look a certain way; instead, do it because of enjoyment and health.
5. Mindful Cleaning
Most people don’t like chores, but adding mindfulness to seemingly mundane household tasks can actually make them relaxing, and can even serve as a break from the rest of your busy day or week. The next time you do laundry, make the bed, wash the dishes, and more, try to be fully aware of your surroundings and the task at hand. Engage your five senses and listen to the sounds of you wiping down the coffee table or spritzing a cleaning bottle. Smell how clean your sheets are, and mindfully move through each movement.
Mindful cleaning will almost become a sort of ritual, one that makes you feel serene and gives you a break from the bustle of everyday life. You’ll be so happy to have done so afterward – your space will no longer be cluttered and you’ll have gotten your chores out of the way, leaving you with a clear head and a calmer mind.
6. During Your Commute Mindful
Driving can be stressful, especially if you live in the city. While most people drive with music to drown out the noise and maybe even fear, driving is something that requires a lot of attention.
Public transportation does not require nearly as much attention as driving a vehicle yourself, as someone else is doing the driving for you. However, you still need to look out for your stop, pay attention to the people around you so you know when to shift a few seats down, offer your seat to people who need it more, and so on.
On your commute, try people watching, especially if you’re on a bus or train. Notice the sounds of everyday life around you – people shuffling in and out of the bus or train, the sound of the vehicle slowing to a halt at every stop or red light, people tapping their feet or whispering to each other. Think about the smell of the morning air as you enter and exit the vehicle, and how the sun feels at that time. Look at the other people outside the window sitting in their own vehicles, all in their own bubbles. Doing this occasionally can change your commuting experience, and leave you with a calmer, fresher perspective to start your day. Say goodbye to road rage and hello to a new perspective while commuting!
7. Nighttime Routine
Mix your nightly routine up a little this time and make it mindful. Try making the choice, at least for one night, to reduce your scrolling time and engage with yourself and the world around you more. Turn your phone off an hour before bed to reduce blue light exposure and to connect with your thoughts more deeply, as opposed to being bombarded with new gossip, stories, messages, and more.
When doing your skincare routine, wash your face intentionally – focus on the movement of your hands on your face, the feeling of the product on your face as it’s applied or drying, its scent, the water temperature and the sound of running water, and how you feel when you’ve completed the routine. Do the same with your entire routine, from brushing your teeth to applying an eye mask.
You can try meditating before bed to increase your mindfulness, or simply enjoy how it feels to be in your warm bed and soft pajamas, without the distraction of a screen. This way, you’ll find that your thoughts won’t race as much, and you’ll be more relaxed and appreciative of yourself, the world, and the little things in life. Each part of this routine will help you sleep much more soundly.
Mindfulness is a wonderfully simple and almost effortless way to reduce stress and anxiety levels, depression, weight, adverse symptoms of various illnesses such as chronic pain, and much more. These positive effects will eventually transfer over to other parts of your life, and improve things such as your sleeping habits and other capabilities. In this way, mindfulness can be a great mechanism for leading a life that is as full and happy as you wish it to be.