Last week’s #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek highlighted how important it is to respect the health (or fitness) of our mind. One popular and effective way to do this is through practicing mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the ability to stay in the present moment, being focused on what is happening here and now, without dwelling on the past or jumping into the future.
This ability to observe what’s happening now allows us to build greater awareness and enables us to make better choices, build stronger relationships, and remain calm among daily life’s ups and downs.
A regular mindfulness practice helps us build better mental health habits, which can make us more productive, improve sleep, and bring enjoyment to life on a very different level.
Incorporating mindfulness practices into your life
Given most of us have had long periods of disruption and stress in recent years, the last thing I want to talk about is “sitting on the cushion”.
As a mindfulness teacher, I will always emphasise the importance of informal mindfulness practices that can be easily adopted into daily routines, especially if you are trying to fit the practice into a life balancing family, work, and friends.
Listed below are a few mindfulness tips and techniques that we cover in greater depth through the process of inquiry and practice during an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course. These practices will give you a clear sense of how to practice mindfulness in everyday life, in ways that feel realistic, supportive, and not like “another thing to add”.
These small practices can be incorporated into daily life and are especially helpful if you work remotely or spend a lot of time in front of a screen.
If you’d like a structured way to build these skills (without needing long practices), our Compassionate Mindful Resilience (CMR) programme offers short, accessible practices that support resilience, steadiness and compassion.
Mindfulness in daily activities
There are lots of routine things we do every day that we often do on autopilot or with distraction (music or TV in the background), such as showering, eating, brushing teeth, or travelling/driving to work.
We repeat these actions so many times that we stop paying attention to what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. To break away from this process, I recommend bringing awareness to the task you are doing and becoming interested in it anew, observing with a beginner’s mind, and noticing the thoughts and feelings that start to arise.
A simple mindfulness strategy here is: choose one everyday activity and do it with full attention for just one minute. That’s it. You don’t need to do everything mindfully to feel the benefits.
And whatever you do, switch off the music or TV while eating and savour the food. The added bonus is you may start eating more healthily and in smaller quantities, as the body’s satiation point often comes earlier when you’re actually paying attention.
Multitasking is a myth
If you focus on one thing or task at a time, you will often complete it in a shorter timeframe and with better quality.
Allow yourself to be absorbed in that one task and see how much you accomplish in a day with that steadier attention.
Another good tip is to keep distractions to a minimum. If you notice you’ve been pulled away by notifications, the mindfulness practice is simply to notice it — and then bring your awareness back to the task in hand, without judgement.
This is one of the most useful mindfulness strategies for work: notice distraction, return, repeat.
Connect with nature and take a short walk outside
Take regular breaks from the screen and, if you have the opportunity, try going outside at least once a day to connect with nature.
If possible, leave your phone and music at home (and yes see the point above about multitasking if you’re in doubt) and simply enjoy what surrounds you.
Since I started doing this, I have discovered so many things, plants, insects, smells, sounds, that I had not noticed before. It enriches awareness and calms the mind.
This can be a powerful way of practicing mindfulness when sitting still feels difficult. Movement and nature can make it easier to settle.
Mindful communication
Life is too short to spend it looking at a phone screen. If you are talking with someone or meeting them, give them your full attention.
Really listen to what people have to say, and pay attention to your responses. This kind of mindful communication can reduce conflict, because there is less room for misunderstanding when your focus remains present and steady throughout the conversation.
A practical mindfulness tip: when someone is speaking, notice the urge to plan your reply and gently return to listening.
Staying positive: gratitude & compassion to self and others
When we practice gratitude (and I honestly do this when I get green lights all the way home when cycling), we focus attention on positive things in our lives, no matter how small.
This can soften the grip of regret and worry, and it can expand the heart towards kindness and compassion for people around us. (And yes, that smile to the older lady you met on your walk is important, it can be the beginning of human connection.)
And when we practice compassion towards ourselves, it helps us step out of constantly judging, analysing and comparing ourselves to others — bringing us back into the present moment.
It takes practice, but I would urge you to give it a go!
Want to take this further?
Mindfulness tips are a great start and many people find it easier to build a steady habit when there’s structure, guidance, and community.
If you want an accessible, supportive course to help you embed these practices, explore the CMR programme. Or if you’re not sure what’s right for you, please reach out to MindfulnessUK and we’ll help point you in the right direction.