5 Quick, Easy Ways to Add Mindful Practices to Your Day

August 27, 2024

Photo Credit: Dejan Ristovski

Mindfulness is probably something you’ve been hearing a lot about lately. But what is it, what can it do for you, and how do you do it? Here are some basic mindful practices that you can easily incorporate into your day.

What is mindfulness?

“Mindfulness is the art of bringing your awareness into the present moment,” says Emily Fletcher, founder of Ziva Meditation and author of Stress Less, Accomplish More.

It’s similar to meditation, but with a key difference: “Mindfulness will help you get rid of stress in the now,” she explains. “Meditation heals your stress from the past.”

Mindfulness is especially relevant right now, Fletcher notes, because the average person today absorbs more information in a week than our ancestors did in their whole lives. “It’s not natural for us to know every single terrible event in the world,” she says. The fact that we can now — in one look at our phones — costs us our mental and physical energy.

“Mindfulness is like medicine to counteract this constant inflow of information and technology,” Fletcher says. “People are recognizing that if they implement daily mental hygiene, not only do they feel better, but they actually perform better.”

Put another way: “Most of us fall into the trap of spending too much time inside our own heads, either through worrying about something that happened in the past or fretting about an event in the future,” says John Burley, author of Mindfulness for the Mindless. “The past only exists in your memory and the future just in your imagination. The only time that isn’t inside your head is the present. It’s a present moment that you will never have again, so don’t waste it inside your head; spend more time in the present moment. Your life will become easier and more enjoyable.”

Why mindfulness matters

Researchers have been studying mindfulness for decades, and have found that benefits include:

Reduced anxiety and depression
Better sleep
Lower blood pressure
Healthier eating habits
More successful goal setting

What are mindful practices?

Simply put, mindful practices are habits that help to ground you in the present moment. They’re simple to do and you can incorporate them into your already everyday activities.

1. In the shower

Instead of scrubbing up as quickly as you can while stressing about the busy day to come, use those few minutes for mindfulness. Feel the water hitting your skin, smell the soap or shampoo, listen to the sound of the spray hitting the tub floor. You don’t have to extend your normal shower time, just use the time you have to practice being present.

2. During your commute

You may have heard about the trend of “raw-dogging” flights to prove your mental toughness. Though that may seem like mindfulness, the actual practice is meant to be easier and more enjoyable, not white-knuckled suffering.

“Turn off the radio off in the car on the commute to work and listen to the sounds that you hear inside and outside the car,” Burley suggests. “Notice the sounds that the car makes at different speeds and on different surfaces. Notice the sounds of other cars around you in the traffic, or birds in trees as you wait to take a turn. Try to take in all the road signs that you pass; there will be many that you will see for the first time even if you’ve done the same journey hundreds of times.”

You can also do this practice if you commute on public transportation. “Try to do the whole journey without looking at or touching your mobile phone,” Burley says. “Just notice the people around you, the stations that you stop at, and scenery that you pass.”

3. While breathing

Deep breathing is a powerful tool to reduce stress, and it can help bring you into the present moment. Try “box breathing,” or the 5-4-3-2-1 technique to bring yourself out of your head and into your body. Do this while you’re in the checkout line at the supermarket, waiting to pick up your kid from dance class, or on hold with customer service.

4. While having a conversation

Most of us are not fully focused on other people when we talk with them. Choose one person or one conversation and give the other person your full attention. Listen to their voice and what they’re saying without formulating a response at the same time. Look at his or her face and note their expression. Turn your body to face them. Not only does this help you by increasing mindfulness, it also makes the other person feel truly heard.

5. While doing chores

Pick something you do every day, such as washing dishes, folding clothes, or cooking. Choose one thing and instead of just getting through it, pay attention. Notice the way you do it (without judgment), and the order in which you choose to complete the task. If you’re folding clothes, for example, note the different textures and colors of the items, and how they smell coming out of the dryer. Don’t think about what you’re going to do next, just focus on what you’re doing.