5 Ways to be Mindful in Your Everyday, Busy Life

09/12/2014
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" “We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.”
                                                                        ― Thich Nhat Hanh, Author of Peace is Every Step
If you read the last blog post on Mindfulness, you may have practiced the Mindfulness exercise suggested: going on a walk in your neighborhood as if you have never been there before, being open to what you notice.  While this is an exercise that you can try anywhere and at anytime, it might be something you want to set aside some time for.  Sometimes, however, in our busy lives, we struggle to find the time to eat, much less be mindful.  Here are 5 ideas to incorporate more mindfulness into your day.

Check in With Your Senses

Our brains are constantly receiving information we gather through our senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell).  It then filters out much of this stimulation, letting in only a small fraction that the brain deems important based on the situation and what has been important in the past (habitual learning).  It can be helpful to practice expanding this filter, by just bringing your awareness to one of your senses.  Take 30-60 seconds while your waiting in line, on public transportation, or even in the bathroom, and just focus on one of your senses.
Mindfulness of the 5 SensesLuna II © Kristine Nystrom, 2003
  • Touch the fabric of your clothes, the surface of your desk, or even the air on your face.  Simply notice the sensations.  Is it hard or soft?  Heavy or light?  Is there a temperature?  See if you can just notice the sensation without putting meaning to it.
  • What do you hear in this moment?  Is there a hum, or a buzzing, or a whooshing?  Or maybe there is only silence.  See if you can just notice qualities of sound (or absence of sound) without labeling or judgment. 
  • What do you see?  Notice how light bends and shifts.  Notice subtleties of color, texture, movement.  Or, perhaps, notice intricacies and details of pattern that you might have overlooked before.
  • Notice taste or smell.  This is a good one to try while eating (see next exercise) but you can also do this anytime.  Smell the air.  Really taste and savor your coffee.

Practice Mindful Eating

No matter how busy our lives are, we have to eat, right?  Set aside one meal a week for mindful eating.  Turn off the phone and the laptop.  Set aside that book or newspaper.  And just allow space to focus on eating.

  • Notice color, texture, pattern, placement of food
  • Notice the smells, and the sensation of smell in your nose, mouth, and body.
  • Notice what is around you.  Smells, sounds, sights, feeling. 
  • Before you take your first bite, notice the sensation of hunger and/or thirst.  What sensations occur in your body?  Is there a change of saliva in the mouth for instance?  Where do you notice that?  Is there a sense of movement or urge to move?  Perhaps there is a sense of urgency?  Where is that located in your body?
  • Notice taste and the sensations of tasting.
  • Notice the act of chewing and swallowing your food.  Can you notice the textures of the food on your tongue? 
  • There may be emotions or thoughts, perhaps even judgements related to eating that arise.  Notice these, but try to not get caught up in the content.  If you get distracted by your thoughts, gently bring yourself back to sensation.

Mindfulness of Breath

Breathing is something we do automatically, and often without thought.  But breathing is something we can choose to have conscious control over.  Mindfulness of breath has been something that people have been practicing for centuries, and it has been shown to help with anxiety, panic, and other problems.

  • Bring your awareness to your breath without trying to change it.  What do you notice?  Is there a speed?  A rhythm?
  • Where do you feel your breath?  Perhaps you notice it the strongest as it is coming in through your nose, or maybe you sense it at the back of your throat?  Perhaps you notice the rise and fall of your chest or stomach?
  • Where does the movement of breathing occur in your body?  Is your breath high in your chest or deep in your stomach?
  • What do you notice as you bring your attention to your breath?  Does the rhythm or cadence change?  Does it slow down or speed up?  Does it get deeper or more shallow? 

Mindfulness of an Object

Choose an object (can be anything from a rock or a leaf to a pencil or your computer mouse.  Take 30-60 seconds and examine the object with all of your senses.  What do you notice?

  • Notice texture, weight, temperature, etc.
  • Notice smells or tastes if any (please be careful, and do not taste or smell anything that may be harmful or toxic).
  • Notice any internal sensations associated with this object.
  • Notice any thoughts, images, meanings, or emotions associated with the object, but try not to become wrapped up in the content of these thoughts.
  • Take the time to really experience the object.  Notice if anything comes up in you (thoughts, emotions, sensations) the longer you sit with the object (again try not to get caught up in the content of any thoughts, images, judgment, emotions, just notice as it arises and falls away.

Do a Body Scan

Our internal sensations often go unnoticed, unless of course, they are loud, like in the case of pain.  But our internal experience is one of the ways we understand ourselves, our emotions, and the world around us.  Building awareness of internal sensation, therefore, is an excellent Mindfulness practice.  You can start anywhere – top of your head, bottom of your feet, your core, wherever calls you.  What do you notice inside?   

  • Do you notice a tightness or tension anywhere? Or is your body relaxed?
  • Can you notice your feet on the ground or the pressure of your shoes?
  • Do you notice any movement internally, or any movement urge in your muscles.
  • Do you feel a sense of temperature?  Is it the same temperature throughout your body, or perhaps you feel warm in some areas of your body and cold in others?

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Kristine Nystrom, LPC

Mental Health, Blog, Mindfulness, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
I am a mental health therapist, teacher, writer, photographer, nature-lover, explorer, fellow human being along on the journey toward self-discovery and inner peace.
I am constantly updating this site, so please, check back often.   You can also contact me here, or follow me social media to find out when new articles are posted.  
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Kristine Nystrom, LPC, LMHC

5404 N. Montana Ave. Portland, OR 97217

503-382-9654 kristine@newstreamscounseling.com