The Magic of Mindfulness
5 easy ways to become more present and enjoy your life!
“The best way to capture moments is to pay attention.
This is how we cultivate mindfulness.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn
For many of us, the past couple of years have been really stressful and it’s often been difficult to focus. We’ve had to adjust to changes in our routines and disruptions in our work and personal lives. It’s been really challenging to stay present in our surroundings and much easier to spend hours scrolling on social media instead of staying personally connected to family and friends.
You may have found it particularly difficult to engage in regular mindfulness practices during the pandemic. Although there may be a desire to ignore what’s going on around us, mindfulness (the ability to stay in the present moment and focus your thoughts and attention on what is happening in the here and now) is exactly what we need. Instead of dwelling in the past or fretting about the future, being mindful keeps us focused on the present.
It also keeps us healthy. Mindful practices help us lower stress levels, lessen anxiety, feel more connected to others, boost our immune systems (and we need that right now!), reduce symptoms of chronic pain, sleep better, and stay mentally healthy. In summary, mindful practices help us to be happier and live more meaningful lives.
Mindfulness practices have so many positive characteristics that at times I think they are almost magical. When I looked up the definition of magical, I found “beautiful or delightful in such a way as to seem removed from everyday life”. Who wouldn’t want more of that?
In addition to meditation, here are 5 easy ways to add more mindfulness magic to your day and become more present in your life:
Check in frequently with your body. Close your eyes and really notice how you’re feeling. Do a brief body scan starting at your toes and moving up through your body to the top of your head. Where are there feelings of tightness? Do you have any aches or pains? Does your neck hurt from scrolling too much on your phone? Really notice how you’re feeling.
Our bodies let us know when something isn’t quite right. If you’re wrestling with a major decision, it’s always a good idea to check in with your body. That clenching in your stomach or tightness in your throat is sending you a message. Pay attention and notice.
Listen to your heart. In addition to physical bodily sensations, pay attention to your heart center, or your emotions. You can experience many different emotions in the space of a day. Let yourself feel each emotion and stay present with it. Try some heart opening yoga poses (i.e., cobra, sphinx, bridge pose, warrior 1, etc.). What is your heart trying to tell you?
- Focus on your breath. Our breath is always with us and always available to help bring us back to the present moment. Bring your attention to your breath and notice whether your breathing is shallow or deep. Can you envision the breath moving throughout your body? Take 3 deep breaths and notice your belly rise and fall. Focus your attention on each inhale and exhale. Practice this often throughout the day to help you stay alert, focused and calm.
Pay attention to your thoughts. Did you know that we have between 60,000-80,000 thoughts every day? And apparently approximately 75% of those thoughts are the same ones we had yesterday. Our thoughts create our lives so it’s really important to notice them. Can you become an observer of your thoughts?
Here’s an exercise to try: Find a comfortable position and begin to notice your breath. After you’ve settled into your breathing, begin to notice your thoughts and see if you can observe those thoughts without becoming involved with them. Become curious about your thoughts. Watch them go by as if on clouds and don’t get caught up in them. Stay calm and connected to your breath as you’re doing this. What do you notice?
- Practice active listening. Have you ever noticed when you’re having a conversation with someone that you spend most of the time thinking about your own response as they’re talking? We actually don’t hear about half of what others are saying because we’re so focused on our own thoughts. We do that with written conversations too (i.e., texts and emails) and often don’t read the entire email. Instead, we pick out one or two points and start formulating our responses before we even finish reading. We’re distracted. Next time you have a conversation with someone, see if you can put your full attention on what the other person is saying and practice mindful listening.
In addition to the above, other practices you can try include gratitude journaling, eating more mindfully, going for a mindful walk, and becoming more aware of your surroundings.
Here’s a grounding exercise that will help bring you back to the present moment.
Grounding Exercise
This very simple and quick exercise will help you engage all five senses and helps you become aware of your surroundings.
You can do this exercise sitting, standing or walking around and it’s a great exercise to do if you’re feeling stressed. You can also help someone else do this exercise if they need to calm down and it works really well with children as well as adults.
Notice 5 things you can see.
Notice 4 things you can touch.
Notice 3 things you can hear.
Notice 2 things you can smell.
Notice 1 thing you can taste.
Follow this exercise up with 3 deep breaths and you will feel much more calm and present.
Try adding some of these magical mindfulness practices to your day and notice the positive difference they make in your life!
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"I felt at complete ease with Sharon from our first conversation. She has a wonderful, gentle but firm way that made me focus on my thoughts / feelings so I could remove / change to move forward with a completely different feeling to what felt like obstacles. It was great having regular coaching that gently kept me accountable to actioning and moving towards my goals. Sharon has vast experience in so many areas, I felt that makes her an amazing coach.”
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