With the NHS advocating mindfulness to ’help us enjoy life more and understand ourselves better’ it’s clearly something that’s worth building into our daily lives. But don’t think of it as just another thing you have to do or schedule. Here’s how to work the practice into your everyday routine so it quickly becomes a beneficial habit you won’t want to do without.
Mindfulness in minutes
Any time you feel the pressure of daily life rising, take a minute out to focus on your breath and bring yourself back to the present moment – you can do this waiting for the lift, by the watercooler, in a meeting hiatus. Breathe in and out normally, appreciating the time taken for each inhalation and exhalation, and feeling your lungs expanding and deflating with each breath cycle. When those pesky pressures try to pop back into your mind, bring your attention back to your breath.
You can also perform a mini, three-minute version of the body scan exercise. To be aware of your body and its sensations, close your eyes and, starting with your feet, gradually scan upwards through your body to your head. What sensations can you feel? Do your legs feel heavy? Does your back or neck ache? Can you breathe easily? Move the scan to your hands and fingers, then out to your surrounding environment. Open your eyes. You’ll feel calmer and more grounded.
Mindful listening and speaking
Author Fran Lebowitz once said, ‘The opposite of talking isn’t listening – it’s waiting.’ We all know someone who waits, glassy-eyed, to have their say while you have yours, talks over you before you’ve finished speaking, then complains they ‘can’t get a word in edgeways’ otherwise. Don’t be that person. Cultivate mindful listening and speaking every day.
Give the person you’re conversing with your full attention during a conversation. Instead of mentally rehearsing what you’re going to say next, let go of those thoughts, really focus on the other person and hear what they’re saying. You may find the conversation moves onto a more interesting track than the one you had in your head.
Before you respond, pause, think before you speak, breathe and contribute something interesting and relevant. If you didn’t understand something, ask, then repeat back your understanding; this shows you were really listening. In this way, conversation becomes less of a breathless, like-for-like trading of random thoughts, and more relational: a real exchange that enriches both sides and demonstrates that the art of conversation is not dead.
Mindful walking
Most of us walk around at some point during our day; we may as well do it mindfully. Paradoxically, the busier our day, the more slowly we should walk, ignoring that inner voice nagging us to ‘hurry, hurry, hurry’. To walk mindfully, slow right down. Be aware of the soles of your feet – how they contact the floor, and the sensations in your leg muscles as you move. When your mind wanders to your to-do list, bring your attention back to these sensations of walking, and the present moment.
Mindful walking can also take in the sounds, sensations and experience of your immediate environment, particularly if you can get outside into the open air. Feel the breeze on your face, hear the city sounds, the countryside birdsong, the children in a nearby playground. Connect these to your sensations of walking to feel completely part of the moment.
Mindful eating
Too many of us grab a sandwich, scoff it rapidly at our desk while we focus on some knotty spreadsheet data, then wonder why we feel unsatisfied and dyspeptic. Meal breaks should be exactly that – a break, and the ideal time for some daily mindfulness. Our food comes via some extraordinary processes: farming, picking, processing, cooking, packaging and transport. Appreciate and celebrate its provenance by eating it mindfully.
When you choose your food, choose it mindfully too. Think about what is in it, and what impact it will have. Is it nutritionally healthy? Is it ethically sourced? Is the packaging minimal, or at least recyclable? If you feel you sometimes don’t eat as balanced a diet as you’d like, you may wish to consider taking a multivitamin supplement. Mindfully taking care of your health shows appreciation for your amazing body and all that it allows you to do.
When you have a meal break, share that time with others who are also eating, and doing nothing but eating. Research shows that sharing meals can contribute to increased happiness.
Eat slowly, take an interest in each other’s food, engage in conversation and connect with each other. When you eat mindfully, focusing on your food and listening to your body, you’ll feel when you are full and be less inclined to overeat.
Micronutrients made easy
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DISCLAIMER:
*Multivitamins are intended to supplement your diet and should not be regarded as a substitute for a varied diet and a healthy lifestyle.
Centrum contains vitamin D, which contributes to the normal function of the immune system, and vitamin B12, which contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.