Most of us know by now that mindfulness is a state of being in the present moment, without being stuck in the past or caught up in what might happen in the future. Mindfulness has become incredibly popular in recent times and for good reason, research suggests it can improve depression, anxiety and pain. On a more everyday level, practicing mindfulness also reduces distractibility, helps you listen more fully to others and if you are like me, reduces clumsiness! And one of the best things is that its so simple and it can be done almost anywhere.
Being mindful all the time?
So, now that we know that mindfulness is beneficial, it’s natural for us to strive to be mindful all the time. And if we can’t keep it up, we may decide that we’re epic failures. We might even tell ourselves that we suck at this mindfulness thing or ask ourselves why we are stressing about the presentation we have to give next month, when we are supposed to be in the moment?!.
Do we need to be perfect?
Even mindfulness can be a source of perfectionism, but the beauty is that we don’t need to do this perfectly, we can pick it up at any time we remember, and we can practice gradually and consistently. This way we become more mindful over time. Yeah, it takes practice but not perfection.
Mindfulness of our senses
My favourite mindfulness activity is simply tapping into the five senses and answering the following questions with curiosity and without judgement.
Sight – What can I see right now? What colours, movement, light?
Sound – What can I hear in my immediate environment? What can I hear beyond that? And beyond that?
Touch – What can I feel touching my skin? What can I feel under my feet (if standing)? What can I feel under my bum (if sitting)?
Smell – Can I smell anything? If so, what does it smell like?
Taste – Can I taste anything right now? If so, what does it taste like? Is it sweet, salty, bitter?
Focus on what’s around you
This exercise is particularly helpful when you’re rushing around and caught up in your thoughts and it can be done almost anywhere such as while waiting for a stressful event or meeting, but also when doing everyday things like cooking, driving and walking.
- notice 3 to 5 things around you
- one at a time, silently name the object and describe its colour, shape and texture
- if you’re feeling particularly stressed or anxious you can continue to name objects around you to help get you into the present moment and out of your mind
Mindfulness objects
At home or even on your desk at work it’s great to have a few objects that have interesting colours, textures, shapes and/or smells.
To use these mindfully, take a movement to gently feel the texture, notice the colour and shape and if appropriate smell the object.
Ideas for mindfulness objects are endless but may include small, coloured gemstones, pebbles, feathers, scented candles, fresh or dried flowers, hand cream and glass paperweights.
Once you have practiced these simple techniques in your daily life, they can easily be applied to more high pressure and stressful activities. I also like to remind myself often that, ‘right here, right now, I’m completely okay’.
