Two of My Favorite Mindfulness Tools
Mindfulness has been a big part of my life since 2015. During that time I went on a yoga retreat in Thailand and then did a meditation course in India. This continued practice of mindfulness has transformed my happiness, relationships, and work performance.
I wanted to share with you two of my favorite mindfulness tools.
1. Daily check-ins - These are also called purposeful pauses. It is switching from doing to simply being. Allowing yourself to stop and pause and check in with yourself. To do this you can stop what you are doing and allow yourself to breathe naturally. Then bring your awareness to your breath and simply watch it. You can also notice how your body is feeling. For this, you can quickly scan your body. If any areas are tight or achy you can bring your attention to them. Allow it to sit there without trying to change it. These daily check-ins can be anywhere from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes. Here are 3 ways you can do them:
Set a timer on your phone and when it goes off you can do it. For instance, every day at 12 PM and 3 PM.
Do them when you switch from one task to another. Such as after lunch or when you finish a project and before you start the next.
When you start to feel yourself getting rushed or overwhelmed.
2. Mindful moments - These are any type of activities where you are going to be intentional about being fully present. For example, they can be daily habits such as brushing your teeth, taking a shower, eating, driving, etc. Or they can be a type of physical activity such as walking, dance, yoga, etc. You can decide ahead of time which ones you are going to do. For instance, today I am going to do a mindful moment with breakfast and an afternoon walk. Then be fully present during these activities. For breakfast put away any distractions and notice the sensations of each bite and sip. You can pay attention to the taste, texture, temperature, and anything else you experience. For the walk notice the sensation as your foot touches the ground, any other sensations in your body, and the sights and sounds around you.
I highly encourage you to give these two mindfulness tools a try. You may notice how these take you off auto pilot and allow you to more fully experience your life.
