The biggest deterrent I hear from both clients and friends about mindfulness is that they don’t have time. I know what you’re saying. It’s not that we don’t have time, really—a meditation can take as little time as you want it to—it’s that we would rather watch the latest episode of Handmaid’s Tale when we get home from work than sit and do a meditation for five minutes. Trust me, I feel the same way. That’s why I compiled this list of *easy* and relaxing ways to use mindfulness daily.
1—The Mindful Shower.
Showers can be incredibly refreshing or rushed and stressful, depending on where our minds are when we get in. I know there are times when my mind is so focused on the million things I need to do when I get out, I come out with one shaved leg. You know those moments where you can’t remember whether or not you rinsed the conditioner out of your hair? It’s because your mind was anywhere except in that shower with you.
The key to the mindful shower (and a lot of mindfulness practices) is not to try to clear your mind, but to try to focus it deliberately on your surroundings. As you get in, take a moment to turn your shower to the perfect temperature. Notice the temperature shift in your bathroom as the shower heats the air. Notice the way the water feels when it first touches your skin—is it warm? Too hot? Do you get goosebumps?
Really focus your mind on the sensations happening as you get clean. Appreciate the smells that arise from your soap, shampoo, and conditioner. If you shave or brush your teeth, focus in on those sensations as well. The sharp razor sliding across your skin, and the bristly tooth brush scrubbing away your morning (or evening) breath.
As you tune in to the great sensory experiences happening, think about what they mean to you. Getting clean can be a refreshing, renewing experience. Think of the old that you are gently scrubbing off, and the opportunities it gives you for the day ahead. If your thoughts wander to the many things you have to do that day, that is completely normal and expected. In the spirit of mindfulness, be kind to yourself. “Thank you, brain, for that reminder! I’ll get to it shortly.” And then tune back to your senses; the feeling of the water, the smell of the soap. See if you can slow time down and feel each drop of water as it hits your back.
Notice the pressure you’re applying to yourself as you get clean. Do you scrub your scalp like it’s caked with layers of mud and dirt? That probably isn’t necessary. Be gentle with your body, and pay attention to the habitual ways in which you treat it.
This shower doesn’t have to take any longer than your normal shower would. It could take four minutes or twenty—whatever feels right for you. Focusing your mind on what you’re doing in that moment will make you feel more refreshed than stressing over what you need to do when you get out, or what you should have said to that person last night. Give your mind that break so that you can handle more when you get out!
2—The Mindful Drive.
The morning drive is often a stressful time. You’re five minutes late (always), trying to eat your bagel and drink your coffee, the traffic is terrible, and you’re thinking of the hundreds of things you need to get done that day. Maybe you’re also thinking of how you need to call your parents more often, you meant to check in with your friend about that thing, and how you need to stop on your way home to get groceries. I don’t want you to get *too* relaxed while you’re barreling (or probably crawling) down I-35 in the morning, but there is an easy way to make the trip a little more bearable!
According to the National Coffee Association (I just learned this was a thing), 62% of Americans start their morning with a cup of coffee. That is great, I love coffee! The thing about caffeine is that it speeds up our heart-rate, which can trick our brain into thinking that we are in danger. That’s why caffeine can make a lot of people feel a bit anxious, especially if they (like myself) are prone to anxiety already. Fear not! There’s a way to “trick” our brain right back into a state of (relative) calm and it is super easy. Research shows that when we breathe out for a longer time than we breathe in, our heart-rate slows down. Simply breathe in for a count of four, hold for a count of two, and breathe out for a count of six. In for four, hold for two, out for six. Do this as many times as you like— at least three times. This breathing exercise is an easy break at any time during your day.
3—Mindful Eating.
We live in such a rushed and busy society, sometimes we don’t even get a chance to eat. We all have times where we find ourselves eating in the car, or mindlessly scarfing down a sandwich during a conference call. Sometimes those things have to happen and that is understandable. If possible, however, lunch break can be a perfect time to take a few moments to yourself to breathe and give your mind a break.
Mindful eating takes your attention to your food, focusing your mind much like in the mindful shower exercise. It’s important to do this with as little distraction as possible, meaning no catching up on Big Brother while you eat! If you have food to prepare, try to do so as deliberately as possible, noting the smells and textures you experience as you do so.
4—Mindful Appreciation of Beauty
Who doesn’t love blasting music in the car? I know I find myself driving along with the radio on and halfway through a song realizing that I didn’t even realize what was playing. The car is such an easy place to get caught up in thoughts. Something I enjoy is putting on music and really focusing my attention on different details, trying to hear things I haven’t noticed before. I like to do this with music I find calming and beautiful, like Bon Iver. But if you can feel mindful while listening to Kesha, go for it! No judgment here (that’s kind of the point).
Like with the other mindfulness exercises, this is an opportunity to focus your mind on something intently. Be present with the song. Pay attention to what it evokes in you as you listen.
This doesn’t have to be just for music; it’s easy because it is often part of people’s lives in some way. Looking at a piece of art can have the same calming effect and can invoke a similar sense of beauty and wonder. I have attached a few pieces that I enjoy, and I encourage you to view them mindfully and see what they bring out in you. Did one stick out more than the others? Why? Was it the colors, the shapes, the texture?
Showers can be incredibly refreshing or rushed and stressful, depending on where our minds are when we get in. I know there are times when my mind is so focused on the million things I need to do when I get out, I come out with one shaved leg. You know those moments where you can’t remember whether or not you rinsed the conditioner out of your hair? It’s because your mind was anywhere except in that shower with you.
The key to the mindful shower (and a lot of mindfulness practices) is not to try to clear your mind, but to try to focus it deliberately on your surroundings. As you get in, take a moment to turn your shower to the perfect temperature. Notice the temperature shift in your bathroom as the shower heats the air. Notice the way the water feels when it first touches your skin—is it warm? Too hot? Do you get goosebumps?
Really focus your mind on the sensations happening as you get clean. Appreciate the smells that arise from your soap, shampoo, and conditioner. If you shave or brush your teeth, focus in on those sensations as well. The sharp razor sliding across your skin, and the bristly tooth brush scrubbing away your morning (or evening) breath.
As you tune in to the great sensory experiences happening, think about what they mean to you. Getting clean can be a refreshing, renewing experience. Think of the old that you are gently scrubbing off, and the opportunities it gives you for the day ahead. If your thoughts wander to the many things you have to do that day, that is completely normal and expected. In the spirit of mindfulness, be kind to yourself. “Thank you, brain, for that reminder! I’ll get to it shortly.” And then tune back to your senses; the feeling of the water, the smell of the soap. See if you can slow time down and feel each drop of water as it hits your back.
Notice the pressure you’re applying to yourself as you get clean. Do you scrub your scalp like it’s caked with layers of mud and dirt? That probably isn’t necessary. Be gentle with your body, and pay attention to the habitual ways in which you treat it.
This shower doesn’t have to take any longer than your normal shower would. It could take four minutes or twenty—whatever feels right for you. Focusing your mind on what you’re doing in that moment will make you feel more refreshed than stressing over what you need to do when you get out, or what you should have said to that person last night. Give your mind that break so that you can handle more when you get out!
2—The Mindful Drive.
The morning drive is often a stressful time. You’re five minutes late (always), trying to eat your bagel and drink your coffee, the traffic is terrible, and you’re thinking of the hundreds of things you need to get done that day. Maybe you’re also thinking of how you need to call your parents more often, you meant to check in with your friend about that thing, and how you need to stop on your way home to get groceries. I don’t want you to get *too* relaxed while you’re barreling (or probably crawling) down I-35 in the morning, but there is an easy way to make the trip a little more bearable!
According to the National Coffee Association (I just learned this was a thing), 62% of Americans start their morning with a cup of coffee. That is great, I love coffee! The thing about caffeine is that it speeds up our heartrate, which can trick our brain into thinking that we are in danger. That’s why caffeine can make a lot of people feel a bit anxious, especially if they (like myself) are prone to anxiety already. Fear not! There’s a way to “trick” our brain right back into a state of (relative) calm and it is super easy. Research shows that when we breathe out for a longer time than we breathe in, our heartrate slows down. Simply breathe in for a count of four, hold for a count of two, and breathe out for a count of six. In for four, hold for two, out for six. Do this as many times as you like— at least three times. This breathing exercise is an easy break at any time during your day.
3—Mindful Eating.
We live in such a rushed and busy society, sometimes we don’t even get a chance to eat. We all have times where we find ourselves eating in the car, or mindlessly scarfing down a sandwich during a conference call. Sometimes those things have to happen and that is understandable. If possible, however, lunch break can be a perfect time to take a few moments to yourself to breathe and give your mind a break.
Mindful eating takes your attention to your food, focusing your mind much like in the mindful shower exercise. It’s important to do this with as little distraction as possible, meaning no catching up on Big Brother while you eat! If you have food to prepare, try to do so as deliberately as possible, noting the smells and textures you experience as you do so.
4—Mindful Appreciation of Beauty
Who doesn’t love blasting music in the car? I know I find myself driving along with the radio on and halfway through a song realizing that I didn’t even realize what was playing. The car is such an easy place to get caught up in thoughts! Something I enjoy is putting on music and really focusing my attention on different details, trying to hear things I haven’t noticed before. I like to do this with music I find calming and beautiful, like Bon Iver. But if you can feel mindful while listening to Kesha, go for it! No judgment here (that’s kind of the point!).
Like with the other mindfulness exercises, this is an opportunity to focus your mind on something intently. Be present with the song. Pay attention to what it evokes in you as you listen.
This doesn’t have to be just for music; it’s easy because it is often part of people’s lives in some way. Looking at a piece of art can have the same calming effect and can invoke a similar sense of beauty and wonder. I have attached a few pieces that I enjoy, and I encourage you to view them mindfully and see what they bring out in you. Did one stick out more than the others? Why? Was it the colors, the shapes, the texture?
Franz Kline
Jack Vanzet
5—Non-Judgmental Thinking.
If you’re familiar with mindfulness, you will know this is central to any mindfulness practice. Feel free to skip through this part, but I find that the reminder is always helpful, no matter how long you have been practicing. If you’re unfamiliar with mindfulness, this is perhaps the most important thing you should know, and it can be brought in to any part of your day.
Mindfulness is a way of looking at the world and your own thoughts without judgment. There is nothing you “should” be thinking—there are just your thoughts, and you can succumb to them in some ways or not. You start by removing yourself from the thoughts; for example, if you have the thought “I’m so dumb, I can’t believe I did that”, you might take a step back and notice “hmm I had the thought that I’m so dumb”. It might seem like a subtle difference, but it takes the power out of that thought. You aren’t dumb—you just had the thought that you were dumb. You don’t have to agree with that thought. Once we remove ourselves in that way, it also gives us the opportunity to look at trends in the way we are thinking. If you start noticing each time you use “should” in your thoughts, you might be surprised! Then you can start thinking about where that “should” comes from and why it is important to you. We can be so incredibly hard on ourselves, and mindfulness gives us the chance to recognize that and start being more gentle.
Even though I have been practicing mindfulness for several years, I continuously catch myself in patterns of thought that aren’t very kind to myself. We are taught to push ourselves and judge ourselves immensely. We see others do it, and we think that is how success is brought out. I don’t think we get further in life by imposing these harsh judgments—they only lead to perfectionism that can hold us back. Kindness is a virtue when given to others, why not to ourselves?
6—Mindful Living
Though I’ve provided some meditation-like opportunities to use throughout the day, mindfulness isn’t just about that. Hopefully from reading this, you get the idea that mindfulness can come into any part of your day. Anything you do, you can do mindfully. Mindful typing at your computer, mindful conversations with friends, mindful walking. Being mindful means that you are present in what you are doing. You don’t accidentally drive to work when you were intending to drive to the grocery store when you are being mindful of what you are doing. It is not an easy practice because it takes active thought and work. That is why it’s called practice! The more that you embed these exercises into your daily life, the more mindfulness will become second nature. I hope that these are helpful!
