“Stay mindful” is our company motto – and we believe that our everyday lives offer plenty of opportunities to indulge in this.
What does it mean to “stay mindful”? It’s a phrase you may have heard many times over without fully understanding what the practice entails. Essentially, it’s all about keeping your mind in the here and now – not focusing on the past or what may be, and not letting it wander off on unnecessary tangents.
But, this practice isn’t just reserved for meditation. There are so many moments in our everyday lives that are perfect mindfulness opportunities in disguise.
1. Mindful Showers
Seemingly mundane everyday tasks like taking a shower may not be the first thing that comes to mind when talking about developing a mindfulness habit, but they are in fact ideal chunks of time to keep your conscience engaged.
So, next time you hop into your morning shower, instead of stressing about the water temperature or wondering about what happened on Dancing with the Stars last night – use this time for mindfulness practice. Focus on how you’re feeling right at that moment. The warmth of the water on your skin, the smell of your shower gel, the roughness of your loofa as you rub it over your body – these are the thoughts you should be focusing on.
2. Mindful Commute
Another hated everyday task we all have to endure is the monotony of the morning commute. For many people, this means some serious screen time with their smartphones or indulging in a game of “anywhere but here” in their heads. But, in doing so, they are missing a perfect opportunity to stay mindful.
Instead, use this time to think about how those around are probably feeling the same as you, what you can smell, what you can hear, and how you feel in this moment. But, try not to dwell too much on the negatives as those can easily run away with you!
3. Mindful Lines
Waiting in line is, unfortunately, a big part of everyone’s life. So why don’t we use it to our advantage more often? We human beings spend, on average, 6 months of our lives waiting in line for things. That’s a whole lot of time that could be better spent!
Stay focused on your posture, check in with your body and pay attention to how each part of it feels while you’re waiting. Keep your breathing steady, count your breaths and relax into a rhythm. Pay attention to what’s going on around you – how do the other people in the line look? Being able to spot emotions in other people makes them even easier to spot in ourselves, a great skill to cultivate.
4. Mindful downtime
Staying mindful in your downtime doesn’t just have to be about meditation. There is so much more you could be doing to keep your mind engaged like reading, listening to podcasts, exercise, and talking with loved ones.
As long as you’re not spending all your time watching TV or browsing social media (although don’t deny yourself these things if you enjoy them!), then it’s all good. Sometimes it’s nice to numb out, but sometimes it’s better to stay present. Find a balance that works best for you.
5. Mindful sleep
Now, of course, we can’t control what our minds do while we sleep, but our routines around sleep and how we get ourselves there can play a big part in how rested we feel afterwards.
A great practice to get into is spending some time each night as you climb into bed to assess both your body and mind. Use this quiet time to check in with how you feel after your day. Work through the day and let it all go. Remember – we don’t want to live in the past! Pay attention to how your body feels, working through each muscle and limb – you might just find you fall asleep before you’ve finished!
Staying mindful throughout the day is not as difficult as you might think. Just keeping your mind in the present as much as possible and trying not to “zone out” quite as much will make a huge difference!
