I first read about mindfulness in a book called Peace Is Every Breath: A Practice for Our Busy Lives, by Thich Nhat Hanh. In the book, he talks about incorporating mindfulness through meditation in our daily activities in order to alleviate much of the unhappiness that we experience. Mindfulness means possessing an awareness of the present moment and paying attention to how attentive we are to our own feelings, thoughts, and sensations felt in our body.
Mindfulness can be a way to acknowledge both pleasant and painful experiences non-judgmentally, treating them in the same way by not reacting emotionally. This can be seen as having “stillness and balance of mind,” and this can minimize the stress that something can cause.
Practicing mindfulness isn’t something that has to be done through meditation, although meditation can be a great way of freeing yourself from the stresses of everyday life.
There are many ways that we can be more mindful in our everyday life, which can help us to stay calm and to better deal with stress or to find more enjoyment in daily tasks that we often overlook.
We can be mindful in various ways, but here are a few ideas you might want to incorporate into your daily life:
1. Take a Walk
With our culture increasingly turning toward constant connection through technology, it can be easy to get exhausted and burned out — distracting us from what we value in our lives and about ourselves. Taking a walk can help you disconnect from the distractions and let you truly reflect on yourself, maybe helping you see something in your life in a new light.
2. Be Mindful Brushing Your Teeth or Making a Cup of Coffee
Daily tasks can become highly monotonous, and we often start to go through them like robots — even though they can take up a substantial amount of our day. Whatever the task may be — whether showering, doing the dishes, driving to school — you should be aware that you can apply mindfulness to these tasks. Be present in the moment and aware of the sensations and feelings you experience. Think of the sound of the faucet running or how lovely the warm water feels; whatever it may be, find something to focus in on. It can be very relaxing.
3. Be Creative
Creativity is a liberating experience, where you can lose all inhibitions and just feel freely. By letting yourself feel and by tending to those feelings and acknowledging them through creativity, you are being mindful. Pick something you love to do — journaling, painting, drawing, poetry, whatever you want it to be — and run with it. Being creative sets you free from the exhaustive forces of your day, and it can re-energize you with positivity.
4. Pay Attention to Your Breathing
Meditation often focuses on breathing, as it is a way to find balance and a sense of calm within — but breath is important even when not meditating. If you’re feeling stressed or nervous, taking deep breaths and focusing on your inhale and exhale can be a great way to clear your head. Relaxed and attentive breathing is also a good technique to practice before falling asleep; it can relieve mild insomnia and relax the body as it prepares itself for a good night’s sleep.
While mindfulness is an excellent way to become more actively present in our day-to-day lives, it is imperative to remember that balance is crucial. Being mindful is about the present moment, but it is also important to let our minds be free of the “now” and to let imagination happen. It is thought that imaginative thinking can actually make us more mindful, and without extending beyond the present moment, we could miss a lot of connections between the inner world of our brain and the world surrounding us.
Being mindful is something that takes practice, and you don’t have to take on every aspect at once. As you move throughout your day, try to incorporate one or two of these things when you can, focusing on clearing your mind from all the background noise and focusing on the task at hand. Soon you’ll start to find your calm and balance.