Practicing mindfulness is a great way to improve many facets of your life through a series of exercises that allow you to truly experience all that life has to offer you. Mindfulness is simply the act of being intensely aware of what you are experiencing, how you are feeling, and every sensation that comes from being. Practicing mindfulness is something that requires a lot of time and repetition but it is definitely something that is worth doing if you want to become more in tune with yourself physically and mentally. Here are 5 ways from Laterra Gems that you can Practice Mindfulness.
1. Stop What You’re Doing and Take a Deep Breath
One of the best ways to practice mindfulness is to stop what you are doing at any given time – whether you are eating, sitting at your desk, just woke up, or brushing your teeth – and take a deep breath. It can be hard to remember to do this when you are caught up in the moment but it’s important to pause and take a breath. Use this moment to reflect on how you feel and to reset before continuing on with your day.
2. Put Your Phone Away
We know that your phone can be incredibly addictive. Many of us spend countless hours scrolling through social media under the pretext of “decompressing” but the truth is that when we are under the spell of social media we are not being aware or mindful of ourselves. We are not present at the moment with ourselves, those around us, and might as well be “zombies” for that moment. To be truly mindful, put the screens away for even just the hour that it takes you to sit down and enjoy your meal or to have a conversation. You’ll be surprised how much you miss when you are on your phone.
3. Be Present and Do One Thing at a Time
In the same vein as the point above, being present is important. You can do this by simply doing one thing at a time. One thing and one thing only. If you are brushing your teeth in the morning, focus on the activity of brushing your teeth and think about how your mouth feels. How do the bristles feel on your gums, what sensations stand out? Do this when you eat, do this when you are stretching, or do this when you walk through a doorway. Whatever moments you choose to focus on just be sure that you are being present.
4. Look for Mindful Moments in Everyday Tasks
As we mentioned before, it’s important to look for moments throughout the day when you can take a second to practice mindfulness. We named a few moments and daily tasks when you can stop to think about how you’re feeling, but try to come up with your own!
5. Notice the Moves You Already Make
Have you ever driven home from work on the same route? It’s pretty routine and you might space out. It’s trippy, but it’s completely normal. That’s because you have already done that task the same way countless times. This is the same whether your workout, your meals, or your daily commute is the same. Try to notice the moves that you’ve already made and try something different while being thoughtful about it. Even something as simple as taking a different route home each day is great practice.