Bringing Mindfulness into your Routine- 5 Easy Tips!

Mindfulness has now become a buzzword. You can see it mentioned everywhere in
social media, wellness blogs, and magazines, and probably from your therapist as well! There are
several reasons that Mindfulness is commonly mentioned when discussing mental health; they go
hand in hand.
Firstly, having a regular Mindfulness practice can help us increase the pause between
stimulus and response.
Secondly, Mindfulness can help us to be more present in our lives, which in turn allows
us to enjoy our lives more!
Thirdly, Mindfulness can help us get to know ourselves better which then can help us
meet our own needs and carry ourselves gently through life’s experiences.
These are just a few of the reasons why one might consider implementing a regular
Mindfulness practice into their routine!
Incorporating Mindfulness into your Wellness routine does not have to be difficult,
complex, or time-consuming.

Check out the tips below for ways to easily add mindfulness to your routine and gain the amazing benefits it offers.

1. Mindfulness Walks. Taking mindful walks in nature is incredibly healing, but it might not be something you can engage in every day. Even walking from your car into your work is an opportunity to practice mindful walking.
   • As you take your walk, engage your senses! Notice how the ground feels beneath you, how the air and your clothes feel on your skin…what all can you see? Shapes? Colors? Textures?…..what can you hear? What does it sound like?… What can you taste? Smell? Notice, notice, notice!
2. Mindful Eating. Watching TV, scrolling on your phone, or reading are all great examples of how to mindlessly eat! We can be more aware of and honor our hunger and fullness cues in our bodies if we practice more mindful eating.
   • Turn off your screens! As you are eating, engage your senses! Notice where you feel your hunger in your body and what happens in your body before you even take a bite. Can you smell it? Taste it? Then, as you eat, notice the shifts happening in your body. Can you feel your body telling you that you are full or still hungry? How? Where do you feel this? Notice, notice, notice!
3. Mindful Listening. Our ears are a powerful part of our body that stimulate many emotions, vibrations, and changes. Most of us listen while we engage in other activities. Ex: listening to music while driving, studying, reading, or getting ready.
   • See if you can practice listening without any other distractions. Can you close your eyes and take just a minute to focus on the way your music/nature/sound machine/children playing/construction, etc sounds? Our world is filled with noises! Notice what you experience as you tune in and mindfully listen. Notice, notice, notice!
4. Mindful Pausing. Practicing pausing can be something that only takes a minute of our time! We can practice pausing when we notice that we are feeling something intense (anger, anxiety, sadness, frustration, impatience, etc). When we continuously practice this, we can lengthen the amount of time we have between feeling and responding and can, therefore, respond more mindfully!
   • The next time you notice you are experiencing an intense emotion, take a moment to just pause and sit in it without changing it or doing something about it. What do you notice? How is your body telling you that you might be feeling something intense? What’s going on with your breathing? What about your thoughts? What do you have the urge to do about it? What do you need? Be curious and… Notice, notice, notice!
5. Mindful Enjoyment. How many times have we experienced something fun and then thought, “I barely enjoyed that because I was so focused on this, that, and the other!”, “Or, that went by so fast!”?? This is often because we are so caught up in other things that we do not often take the time to simply enjoy the moment.
   • The next time you are engaging with people you love, attending something fun, or just enjoying anything in your life, see if you can take a moment and take a mental snapshot of your enjoyment. What are the pleasant sensations you feel in your body? Does this activity bring a smile to your face? Why? What emotions are you experiencing? What else is coming with this experience for you? What do you want to remember? See if you can close your eyes and breathe it in…embrace it…cherish it…take a picture of it in your mind instead of with your phone. Notice, notice, notice!

Do you notice a theme here? The very definition of Mindfulness is to be aware or notice something (i.e. what we are experiencing in the moment) without judgment and without immediately jumping to do something about it or change it. Mindfulness can be easily incorporated into our routine and can help us cherish and enjoy the life we have more fully and deeply.