Mindfulness is the practice of focusing on the present, rather than the past or future. Think of it as a pause to refocus your mind. The good news is you don’t have to be in a yoga studio to practice mindfulness—you can do it anywhere.
Swipe through these 6 ideas for exercising mindfulness any place, any time.
This mindfulness exercise is called the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise. Wherever you are, take a look around you. Calmly name five things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste. This helps bring your attention back to what’s happening presently.
Sometimes, simply taking a few deep breaths will help you to refocus. Stop what you’re doing, close your eyes and let the world fade away. Then, take a slow, deep breath. Some people find it relaxing to breathe in through their nose and out through their mouth. Take 5-10 breaths like this to quickly re-center yourself.
Connect to your body by mindfully shifting your weight back and forth. If you’re standing on the subway platform, for example, adjust yourself so that your weight is placed equally on both feet; feel the connection between your feet and the ground. Slowly and subtly shift your weight to the right, keeping your feet on the ground and maintaining your balance. Then, shift to the left. Repeat as many times as you like, noticing that you are focusing your balance and not other worries.
A meditation expert named Tara Brach, PhD, developed the RAIN technique. When difficult emotions arise, she suggests you Recognize what is happening; Allow the experience to be there, just as it is; Investigate with interest and care; and Nurture with self-compassion.
Choose a “mindfulness anchor”— something you do every day, like brushing your teeth. Each time you do this activity, pause for a few seconds: close your eyes and take three deliberate breaths. Then continue with your task but give it your full attention, focusing solely on that activity. Set a goal to do this mindfulness anchor for a particular number of days in a row, and then it might just become a habit.
Do a body scan by first bringing attention to your breath; take long, slow inhales. As you breathe, consider each part of your body, starting with your feet and moving up through the top of your head. Is anything sore or tense or itchy? Evaluate how your body is feeling and whether any steps should be taken to make things more perfect.