How to Practice Mindfulness Every Day

May 4, 2020May 1, 20203min read

Health is adding a level of attention to every area of your life. —Miranda Anderson

Just like that, April showers brought May flowers. Despite everything that’s been going on, it’s still so crazy to me just how fast this year is flying by. I mean, it’s May 1st, guys. May! However, being in isolation has slowed down time for most of us. And I for one, am so grateful for it as it’s brought a multitude of lessons along with it.

One of them has been the reality of being forced to learn to slow down and be more mindful.

Mindfulness is something I started practicing a few years ago. However, it’s the one thing I’ve learned a lot more about lately. It wasn’t until the last two months that I’ve really started to live more intentionally.

Even in isolation, I took time off of social media (for the most part) and learned to cook/bake new recipes while others were getting screen time more than ever.

I’ve also learned to schedule my days and be flexible if things aren’t done “in time” and as much as it bothers me that things don’t get done, I’ve learned that it’s okay to move unfinished activities to the following day.

That’s how much I’ve been practicing mindfulness.

Today, I wanted to share some things you can do to bring more peace into your life. After all, we all need some sense of peace/calmness in the midst of crazy times. And we’ll need it when things go back to being remotely normal too.

Here are some simple ways you can practice mindfulness daily:

Eat mindfully. When it comes to cooking, I like to take my time to look at each vegetable/fruit as I wash or cook it. Seeing all the details and the beauty of food up close reminds me just how thankful I am to be able to eat such beautiful foods.
Exercise mindfully. Whether it’s doing an intense workout like HIIT or something as easy as taking a walk, I stop to hear my heart beat. If I’m outside, I stop to feel the wind and hear the birds chirp. Doing this makes me grateful to have my health and to be alive.
Get lost in doing things you love. To me, this is the top way to practice mindfulness. Tune out everything and focus on the one thing you’re currently doing.

With so many ways to practice mindfulness, you’re bound to bring some sense of peace into your life, even on a daily basis.

Take a second to pause and be in the moment, use your senses to connect with what you’re doing. A great example is stopping to smell flowers as you arrange them in a vase or stop all distractions so you can listen to a loved one in a conversation.

Years ago, I learned from Darren Hardy that we cannot multi-task as we say ~~on our resumes~~ that we can do. And after putting what he said to the test, he’s right.

Here’s an experiment you can do: next time you’re on the phone with someone, try typing something at the same time on your laptop/computer. You’ll learn that you either stopped listening to that person as you’ve typed or you’ve typed what they said instead of what you intended to jot down. Let me know your thoughts if you try this experiment!

Applying mindfulness practices always brings me back to my center. I’m able to think clearer, have more energy, enjoy life more, and am happier.

If you want to learn more about this subject, check out this website on how to be mindful.