Practicing mindfulness is really about paying attention to the little things in your life. The nice thing about it is that you can practice one minute at a time. You don’t have to set aside hours of your day just to be mindful. You can be mindful every single minute of the day if you choose to be.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to take advantage of all the small moments where you’re doing something that you might think of as a mindless task. By being mindful of what you’re doing in these moments, you can grow your mindfulness practice a little bit more each day.
Here are 20 opportunities to be mindful that you may not have thought of.
1. Focus on your breathing when you wake up in the morning.
Feel each breath. After a few minutes, get up and see how long you can be mindful of your grooming activities.
2. Practice body awareness in the shower.
Feel the water touching every part of your body. Focus on how it feels.
3. Flossing your teeth.
Many people forget to floss. Now is a good time to incorporate it into your routine. Being mindful makes it easier to develop new habits.
4. Observe your thoughts while driving.
Are you thinking about driving or worrying about work?
5. When you're outside, notice the weather.
Describe it to yourself. What do you see and hear? How does the air smell?
6. Practice good listening skills.
Are you intently listening to the person who is speaking or are you thinking about something else?
7. When you're eating.
Focus on both the taste and texture of your food. How does it feel in your mouth?
8. Practice your focus.
Time yourself and see how long you can focus your thoughts on one object in your environment.
9. Pick a worthwhile activity that's outside your comfort zone.
Do it and see if you can focus without experiencing negative emotions.
10. Practice meditating in the bathroom.
It might be the only peaceful time in your day.
11. Observe the person standing in front of you in line.
Describe them in complete detail to yourself. See if you can complete the activity without having your attention wander.
12. Find a quiet place and do nothing for 10 minutes.
Let your thoughts wander and observe your thinking.
Focus on your breathing for 5 minutes each hour.
14. Think about a person you dislike.
Notice the changes in your body as a result of these feelings. Now let go of those negative emotions.
15. Slow down.
It’s easier to focus when you’re not being rushed. Think about this saying, “Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.”
Pay attention your body and thoughts while exercising.
17. In traffic.
When you're sitting at a red light, watch the light until it changes.
18. While you’re in pain.
Focus on the pain and notice what happens to the pain. Now focus on your environment and notice what happens to the pain. (But, by all means, get medical attention if you need it.)
19. When you're falling asleep at night.
In bed, count your breaths until you fall asleep. In the morning, ask yourself the last number you remember.
20. While you are sleeping.
See how long it takes to become mindful in your dreams. Our thought patterns in everyday life tend to stick with us in our dreams.
As you can see, there are opporunities to be mindful throughout your day. From waking to sleeping, before more mindful of your thoughts and actions can help you be more energetic, more productive, and less stressed.
What do you think? What other times during your day could you take the opportunity to be more mindful?
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