Mindfulness Exercises: 8 That Fit into Your Day http://www.spring.org.uk/2014/04/mindfulness-meditation-8-quick-exe...

PsyBlog

1.3k 1,365 585

Like Tweet Share

You can fit these mindfulness exercises into your life while walking, brushing your teeth and just listening.

Although mindfulness meditation is all the rage nowadays, most people have little time for formal practice.

Thats a pity since studies have found mindfulness meditation has many benefits, including reducing depression and pain,
accelerating cognition, increasing creativity, debiasing the mind and much more.

If youre looking for a quick and easy way to add a little mindfulness meditation to your day without formal practice, then these
mindfulness exercises are for you.

They mindfulness exercises can mostly be slotted in while you go about your everyday business, without the need for a formal
sit-down meditation session.

. The walking meditation

If you do any period of undisturbed walking during the day at least ten or fifteen minutes then you can do a little walking
mindfulness meditation.

Itll be easiest if done somewhere with fewer distractions, but try it anywhere and see what happens.

As when cultivating all forms of mindfulness, its about focusing the attention.

At first, people often concentrate on the sensation of their feet touching the ground.

Then you could just as easily focus on your breath or move the attention around your body, part by part.

The key, though, is to develop a sort of relaxed attention. When your mind wanders away, bring it back gently, without judging
yourself.

. The eating meditation

Will you be eating any food today?

1 von 4 18.03.2015 11:06

Mindfulness Exercises: 8 That Fit into Your Day http://www.spring.org.uk/2014/04/mindfulness-meditation-8-quick-exe...

Thought so.

So you can practice a little mindfulness meditation while you eat.

When you take the first bite of any meal, just take a moment to really pay attention to the taste.

Look at the food carefully, feel the textures in your mouth, smell it and notice how your body reacts to it.

You dont need to keep this up all the way through the meal, but use it every now and then to focus your attention.

. Mindful mini-break
Checking email has now become, for many, what we do in between other tasks, sometimes as a kind of break.

Change this.

Instead, drop the email and practice one of the mindfulness exercises.

Turn away from the computer/tablet/smartphone and sit for a moment noticing the sensations in your mind and body.

How do you feel? What can you hear?

Try to be as present in that moment.

If your mind wanders off to tasks that you have to complete or starts working over things that happened yesterday, let these go.

Gently bring your minds focus back to the present. Just be wherever you are for a few moments.

Remember: mindfulness is not about trying to make sense of anything, its about attention to that moment.

. Listen mindfully
Any time thats convenient, try a little mindful listening.

We get used to a lot of the sounds that are around us and quickly tune them out.

If you live in the city, there might be police sirens, train announcements and people sneezing.

In the countryside there could be trees rustling, birds calling or a gate creaking.

What can you hear right now?

Or, put on some music and really listen to it for a short period: try to hear the music without thinking about it.

Try not to let your mind wander to things it reminds you of, to judgements about the music or think about the lyrics too much.

Just allow the music to flow over you and for you to flow into the music.

. Mindful brushing
Some things we do so often that we almost dont notice them any more.

Habits, like brushing your teeth, are usually performed automatically, while the mind skips off to other plans, worries or regrets.

Instead, try to focus on that chore and really experience it. Notice how the brush moves over your teeth and the taste of the
toothpaste.

Another routine that can incorporate mindfulness exercises is showering or bathing.

Let your senses feed on the process and bring your mind back when it wanders off to other worries or thoughts.

You can perform any chore mindfully and you might be surprised what you notice.

2 von 4 18.03.2015 11:06

Mindfulness Exercises: 8 That Fit into Your Day http://www.spring.org.uk/2014/04/mindfulness-meditation-8-quick-exe...

. Just one breath

At any time during the day, take a moment to focus on one breath.

Breathe in, then breathe out.

Focus your attention on how this feels, where you notice the air moving, how your chest and abdomen move.

Try it now.

Youre not looking for a revelation from this experience; think of it more like a little mental push-up for your mind.

Thats it, or if you want to extend it to a few more breaths, thats fine.

. Candle meditation
Of all the mindfulness exercises, this requires a little preparation: you need a candle and a darkened room.

Sit for a while watching the candle and focusing on the flame (dont sit too close).

You are not trying to stare it out or think about the chemical reaction that is going on.

In fact, you are not trying to do anything: its more that you are just noticing the candle in a simple, pure way.

. Experience nature
If your walking mindfulness exercises should happen to take you to a park or green space of some kind, then this is the perfect
opportunity for a little more mindfulness meditation.

As you stand, sit or walk, try to become more aware of nature around you.

See the different types of leaves; hear the bird calls, the wind and the distant rumble of traffic; sense the air moving over your skin
and sun heating your face.

Again, after a few moments, your mind may try to wander where it will.

Be kind to yourself: gently nudge your attention back to nature and your surroundings.

Many people do this naturally when they are in nature but do not necessarily label it as one of the mindfulness exercises.

Its doesnt matter what you call it, as long as your attention is focused on the present moment.

Mindfulness exercises
Hopefully these will give you some ideas about how to practice mindfulness exercises during your day.

As mindfulness expert, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, says:

Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.

Dont feel limited by these mindfulness exercises. Feel free to mix and match or fit them into your life anyway you can.

Almost any activity can incorporate some mindfulness exercises.

Individually these steps may seem small, but you might be surprised at the effect they can have.

Image credit: wakingphotolife

The latest posts from HealthiestBlog.com, the new blog from PsyBlog's author:

When You Eat Just As Important As What You Eat Mon, Mar 16, 2015
Sitting Disease: More Deadly Than Smoking or Cancer? Fri, Mar 13, 2015

3 von 4 18.03.2015 11:06

Mindfulness Exercises: 8 That Fit into Your Day http://www.spring.org.uk/2014/04/mindfulness-meditation-8-quick-exe...

1.3k 1,365 585 Meditation

Like Tweet Share This post is part of a series on meditation:

Meditation Benefits: 10 Ways It Helps Your Mind

Meditation Changes How Genes Are Expressed
Cognition Accelerated by Just 4 x 20 Minutes Meditation
How Meditation Improves Attention
Meditation Can Debias the Mind in Only 15 Minutes
Meditation is an Effective Treatment for Depression, Anxiety and Pain
Mindfulness: 6 Steps to Better Memory, Verbal Reasoning and Improved Concentration
Mindfulness at School Decreases Chance of Developing Depression
8 Wonderful Psychological Effects of Being Compassionate
Mindfulness Meditation: 8 Quick Exercises That Fit into Your Day
Meditation: The Minimum Amount That Works

Related Articles:

1. 4 Ways Mindfulness Meditation Benefits So Many Conditions

2. Mindfulness at School Decreases Chance of Developing Depression
3. Meditation: The Minimum Amount That Works
4. Mindfulness: 6 Steps to Better Memory, Verbal Reasoning and Improved Concentration
5. Meditation Can Debias the Mind in Only 15 Minutes

Dr Jeremy Dean is a psychologist and the author of PsyBlog and HealthiestBlog.com. His latest book is "Making Habits, Breaking
Habits: How to Make Changes That Stick". You can follow PsyBlog by email, by RSS feed, on Twitter and Google+.

Published: 7 April 2014

Text: All rights reserved.

Images: Creative Commons License

4 von 4 18.03.2015 11:06