“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn
It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, go into survival mode, and sort of just forget to live mindfully and purposefully. However, I think that mindfulness is actually most important to practice when we’re in the midst of a busy, stressful time. Mindfulness offers so many benefits, including stress reduction, increased ability to deal with illness, boosting job performance and lowering depressive symptoms.
Honestly, I’ve found the past couple of years to be the most stressful ones of my life thus far. I moved cross-country and went through a draining moving, home selling, and home buying process. I got pregnant and became a mom to a colicky baby – who at 2 years old, still isn’t a great sleeper (This mama is tired!).
The COVID pandemic hit and put a wrench in some of the everyday life I had envisioned. I went through a big career change, dealt with family drama, and so on and so forth…But during these years, I’ve found it more important than ever to practice mindfulness. There’s a lot of power in focusing on the now. It’s easy to let yourself drown in what’s not going right, but I feel much happier when I’m living in the moment and focusing on the good.
And so, today I’m sharing the mindfulness practices that I implement in my life to vibrate higher and feel positive & motivated. Whether you made it a New Year’s resolution of sorts to be more present throughout the year, are making more of a conscious effort to be more mindful during a particularly stressful time, or if you simply are looking for ways to feel more centered and calm in general, mindfulness practices are a constant gift that can always come in handy.
Mindfulness is applicable to everyone – even my toddler, who I practice deep breathing with when she gets frustrated! Here are some ways I practice mindfulness on a daily basis.
7 Ways to Infuse More Mindfulness Into Your Year
My little munchkin apple picking last fall
Commit to a Daily Gratitude Exercise.
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” – Eckhart Tolle
One easy way to practice mindfulness is to do a gratitude exercise: Simply recognize three things that you’re grateful for. You can write it down in a journal, make it a family practice and share it together at the dinner table, or simply make a mental note of what’s high on your gratitude list today.
Doing this kind of forces you to be mindful because you’re asking yourself questions like, “What’s giving me joy today? What moment made me smile yesterday and has stayed with me? What little thing am I thankful for right now?”
Do 10 Minute Meditations.
A daily meditation practice is a wonderful way to slow down, reduce stress and relax the mind. Research shows that meditation actually alters the ways that our brains function.
Just a couple minutes of meditation can make me feel so much more relaxed and change how I respond to things throughout the rest of my day. Most days, I do a 10-minute meditation through the Calm app. My 2-year old no longer naps, but I find it beneficial to do a few minutes of quiet time when she lays down and drinks some oat milk – so while she relaxes, I have just enough time for that meditation practice. I definitely notice myself feeling more calm and collected afterwards!
You can meditate for any length of time. However, I think 10 minutes is a reasonable goal that can be incorporated into your busy day.
Enjoying my surroundings at the coast last week with my toddler! Despite it being 25 degrees out, breathing in fresh air and checking out the water felt nice.
Go on Frequent Nature Walks.
Getting outside is often an immediate way to reduce stress and anxiety. Walks are a healthy way to blow off steam, and they can also be a great way to practice mindfulness.
Go for a mindfulness walk in a forest, park, or your neighborhood by paying close attention to your surroundings. What beauty do you see? How does your body feel getting steps in? What animals are scurrying around you?
Do 20 Minutes of Yoga.
Increase flexibility and strength, reduce tension and pain, increase heart health, and more by committing to a regular yoga practice.
I particularly like doing yoga in the mornings, when my body really feels like it could use a good stretch and I want to shake out any achiness I’m experiencing. One of my favorite YouTube yoga channels is called Boho Beautiful, so I often do one of their routines. They have many videos on YouTube with a wide variety of classes – from yin yoga and bedtime yoga to wind down, to pilates and vinyasa flows – so I don’t get bored!
Do a Few Minutes of Morning Journaling.
Create a strong, positive morning mindset by doing morning journaling. Recently I bought this guided morning journal, and I keep it next to my bed so I can spend a few moments writing in it and setting positive intentions for the day.
Practice Deep Breathing Exercises.
I once read that deep breaths are like little love notes to the body. I couldn’t agree more with that sentiment. Several times a day, I consciously take deep breaths to de-stress and unwind. I often will mindfully breathe when I’m driving, on a walk, or preparing a meal. The beauty of this simple mindfulness practice is that you can take deep breaths almost anywhere, anytime!
A few of the breathing exercises I often do are alternate-nostril breathing, Lion’s breath, and box breathing – all of which are explained here.
Start a Tea Ritual.
A hot cup of tea is not only comforting and beneficial to your health (hello antioxidants!), it can also create the opportunity for a moment of reflection, intention and self-care.
To start a tea ritual, first find a tea that you really enjoy drinking. Also choose a mug that makes you smile. My to go-to teas are peppermint tea (in the evenings) or antioxidant-rich green tea (in the mornings). I often drink out of a mug that has pictures of my family or one from the winery I got married at – they give me happy vibes.
To make your cup of tea a practice in mindfulness, create a relaxing environment: Choose a space where you can cozy up and read or listen to music, spend a few moments reflecting (this is a good time to do a gratitude practice!), or do something else that’s relaxing to you.
I could certainly do better in this area! Meditation is hard for me. I do sometimes get into that state while running
I hear you, meditation is hard for me too. Sometimes I do my 10 minutes and I’m like ahh my mind was racing the entire time! But whatever way you can get into a more relaxed mindset works – running is a good way! I used to feel like that when I went on solo hikes.
So many good thoughts here, Nicole. I’ll admit that I’m not the best at mindfulness. I get into the tasks of the day and just go into survival mode like you said. But I’ve been feeling a little – ok a lot – burnt out lately. A coworker shared the Instagram account @dailystoic with me, and I really like that. Lots of good thoughts from Marcus Aurelius – I recommend checking that one out. I also like the idea of a tea ritual. We have some really good teas in the pantry, but I rarely think about taking the time to go get one out. Thanks for this great post!
Mindfulness can be tough when we’re leading such busy lives. But you’re right, being go-go-go certainly contributes to burnout. Making some subtle shifts and a few somewhat simple changes can lead to big improvements in how we feel!
Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll definitely be checking it out!