How to be more mindful

So if mindfulness is doesn’t requires lots of effort, and its really beneficial, why aren’t we all doing it?

While exploring a new city is naturally interesting, we rarely have the same enthusiasm for brushing our teeth, loading the washing machine or my commute.  So if you are like me, these are just some of the activities that I do on a regular basis that I have labelled “boring” and I go into autopilot (mindlessness).

So the simplest way to practice mindfulness is to bring awareness to the daily activities you consider “boring”.

Another great way time to practice mindfulness is while you wait.  We are all so short of time that waiting is a huge source of frustration, whether its waiting for a train to turn up, waiting in line or being stuck in traffic.  These are all ideal times to just be mindful.  You can do this by focusing on your breathing and left everything else just be.  Start by breathing in and out slowly – one cycle should last for approximately 6 seconds.  Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.  Letting your breath flow effortlessly in and out of your body.

Our brains respond to short burst of mindfulness, so its ok to keep it short, a few minutes per day.

 

 

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