5 Ways to Practice Mindfulness Everday
Something I've been thinking about a lot lately is: how can we make spirituality less intimidating? How can things like mindfulness, connecting to yourself, and finding peace within your life be more accessible...where do you start? How do you begin finding mindfulness every day when meditating seems hella daunting?
I see so many people intimidated by this journey – they are intrigued but feel like they could never be one of those spiritual people who meditate all day and have an elaborate alter they pray to each morning and night. Good news… you don't have to be that. You don't have to be anything but yourself.
Mindfulness is pretty simple. It's all about being intentional. It's about slowing down and really aware of the things around you, the things you are doing, how you are feeling, etc. For many years, I thought that mindfulness wasn't for me. I was anxiety-ridden and always felt like I was running through life at 500mph.
I can never stop the thoughts cycling through my head. I have to life my life with this sense of urgency and doubt because that's how it's always been.
Listen, I've been there. I know what that feels like. But, to give you some hope, I'm no longer there. Of course, I still feel anxiety from time to time and sometimes my mind doesn't shut off at night but I have developed and integrated the self-care and mindfulness tools to bring me back to my center when things get all wonky in my head and life.
This isn't rocket science, people. It's simple but it is a practice; it requires the initial intention to want to find peace, clarity, ease in your life. If you don't feel like these tools will serve you right now, that's ok. They are here for you whenever you need them. I am here for you whenever you are ready to take the first steps, remember that.
Connect to your breath
One of the easiest ways to connect back to the present moment is through your breath. Taking a few deep inhales and exhales when you wake up, before you go to bed, or any time throughout the day when you are feeling stressed or chaotic will get you back into your body grounded in the present moment. Meditation is nothing more than connecting to your breath.
Do one thing at a time
Multitasking is often applauded and expected in today's hustle culture. I'll admit, I love getting multiple things done at once–it makes sense to me to optimize my time and get things done quicker. But it's not always productive. How often do you just focus on doing one thing? Just cooking or just answering emails or just watching a TV show. So often, we are so overstimulated and constantly over-expect ourselves to accomplish so much throughout the day. By slowing down and focusing on one thing at a time, we are able to be fully intention with that thing aka mindfulness to the max.
Take time each day to just sit and be
Forget doing one thing at a time, how often do you do nothing? Do you ever sit outside and just stare at the trees with no music or stimulation around you? I started giving myself time each day to just be–to expect nothing of myself except for being in the present moment. Some ways that I do this are through meditation in the morning and night, spending time outside watching the clouds pass or the leaves dance, or simply starting out my window for a few minutes when my mind feels consumed by stress or anxiety.
Challenge: How can you find more time to just be? Do you always expect yourself to be doing something productive? What will happen if you aren't productive for just a lil bit of your day? #FoodForThought
No phones during meals
A couple of summers ago, when I was really getting into the whole mindfulness thing, I set the intention to not look at my phone during meals for an entire month. It completely changed the game for me. Suddenly, I was more aware of my hunger cues and of the foods I was craving. I came to really enjoy mealtimes and was able to savor each bite and this translated in me being more present in my daily life. I continue to ask myself, what is stopping me from being in the present moment? Usually, it's my phone so I try and be mindful of that. I try to give my full attention to what is right in front of me throughout my day: a person, a meal, work, etc.
Practice gratitude
Aside from connecting to your breath, one of the practices that continues to ground me in the present moment is practicing gratitude. My gratitude practice looks different every day but if you're the type of person who needs structure and consistency, make the intention to write down 3 things you are grateful for each day–I like to do this right when I wake up but there's no timeline for gratitude :) I have this gratitude journal and I love it!
If you're looking to find more peace throughout your day, you have to find that peace within yourself and a mindfulness practice is a great place to start. I truly believe that integrating some or all of these practices each day has the power to benefit everyone who uses them.
I hope that this has resonated with you – share with me in the comments below how you cultivate mindfulness in your life!
