Mindfulness

mindfulness is often talked about in wellness and health forums. Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. How can we continue to apply mindfulness to our everyday lives?

 

Body Scan

Start and end your day by performing a body scan on yourself. You can start at your toes or at the crown of your head. Bring your awareness to that body part and notice if there is any tension there. Consciously relax, or tighten then relax that part of the body. Then move to the next body part like ankles or facial muscles. Keep moving up or down until you've scanned your entire body and consciously relaxed each part of the body

Mindful Morning Ritual

If you're a coffee or tea person you can practice mindfulness with your morning ritual by taking an extra moment to enjoy what you're doing. Savor the aroma of your morning beverage, take time to enjoy the feel of the mug in your hands.

 

Mindful eating

Eating mindfully can be achieved by removing distractions like cellphones, tablets or television, savoring the food and tuning into what your body is telling you about the food you're taking in, paying attention to the thoughts that drift through as you eat.

 

Mindful Breathing

Whether you're waiting for that meeting or doctor's appointment, or even waiting in line at the grocery store, you can engage in mindful breathing by bringing your focus to your breath, feel your breath filling your lungs completely (until your belly raises, your chest raises and then your shoulders go back slightly). Hold it for a few seconds, then release and repeat. This can help you center and bring you into the present moment.

Hobbies

By decreasing screen time and making more time for your hobbies or discovering new hobbies you are actively practicing mindfulness already! Need some idea? Adult coloring books, crochet, painting or beading can be great mindfulness activities.

 

There are hundreds of ways to add mindfulness into your daily life. Figure out what works for you! You can begin to see the benefits quickly with as little as 20 minutes of mindfulness a day.