Mindfulness is not a trend or a gimmick. It is an age-old practice for strengthening the resilience of your psyche, as exercise strengthens the muscles and bones, loving relationships strengthen the spirit and curiosity strengthens the mind. It is free, it is already in you; it just needs to be brought into focus and granted a minute of your time. Here are twenty ways to start being mindful today, right at home, doing things that you already do:
- While washing dishes, focus on the sensation of water running over your hands.
- When folding laundry, breathe deeply and experience the scents of the clothes in front of you and the environment around you.
- Slowly savor the food that you are eating.
- Take time to notice morning light shining through a window, or the the dust particles that it illuminates.
- Sit near an open door or window and experience the sounds of outside. Attend to each of them and try to pull them apart from the other noises you hear, like picking out an instrument in a symphony.
- Take your time lathering soap between your fingers and over your palms to notice the different sensations of cleaning and drying your hands.
- Before getting out of bed in the morning, breathe deeply through your nose and out of your mouth. Let the morning air deep into your lungs; watch your belly rise with each in breath and fall with each out breath.
- Notice the sensation of bristles on your gums when you brush your teeth. Not thinking about the work ahead of you or yesterday’s events, simply brush your teeth aware of textures and temperature inside of your mouth.
- Drink your morning beverage mindfully. Notice the temperature as it moves through your body. What do you enjoy about your morning ritual? Give into it fully.
- Walk mindfully. Make contact with the ground; listen to the sounds of your footsteps; breathe in rhythm with your pace.
- Perform yoga in your home. You do not need to have any special ability to do yoga, there are free mindful yoga videos on YouTube that can be done seated or standing.
- Watch wildlife. Quietly sit and observe the movements of a pet or any creatures that happen to be outside.
- Experience your mail. While sorting through bills and junk mail, notice the different textures of paper and cellophane address windows, the sounds they make when you fold, tear or crinkle them; the taste of gum on an envelope when you lick it to seal it shut.
- Sit in the dark. To experience your breath more fully, eliminate any visual stimulus by closing your eyes or sitting in a completely darkened room as you focus on your breath.
- Cook mindfully. Look at the bright colors on produce and package, experience the smells, sounds and textures that arise while you chop, sauté, boil or sear. You can even microwave mindfully. While you do, ask yourself: where did this food originate? What will happen to it inside of my body?
- Sweep or mop mindfully. With each stroke breathe in, with each step breathe out.
- Plant or garden mindfully. If you don’t have an outdoor space, see if you can adopt a tiny plot in a community garden, or get yourself a houseplant and transfer it from one container to another. Feel the soil on your fingers, smell the dirt when it is dry and again when it is damp. Consider the life cycle of this plant. Where did it come from? What is the origin of its seed?
- Converse mindfully. Have an interaction with whomever you share a home, hallway, block, neighborhood, town or city with, and allow yourself to be fully immersed in the moment, hearing the other person’s words, seeing their expressions and allowing their existence to be the sole focus of your attention for the duration of that interaction.
- Dress mindfully. Before you put it on your body, hold a t-shirt or pair of jeans between your hands and feel its fabric as if feeling it for the first time in your life. Look at it closely and observe the tiny stitches that hold it together. Notice its color and any variations. As you dress, notice the way that the clothing confirms to your body. Consider why you only notice it’s interaction with your skin during this exercise.
- End your day mindfully. At nighttime, breathe in deeply and exhale. With each new breath, notice a part of your body. Moving from head to toe, tighten and then relax each of your muscle groups. Notice where there is tension, soreness or pain. Breathe deeply into these areas.
How do you practice mindfulness? Share it on Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtag #wellandkind.