Practical Ways to be More Mindful

Despite being in the present, we are never in it. We are either still stuck in the past, or we try to stay in the future. Either way, we miss out on what we have right now, we take it for granted. 

The key to happiness is just this, live every moment the best you can. One and the only way to do that is to stay in the present and value everything that you are doing and everything you have. That’s what you call mindfulness. In three words – STAYING IN THE MOMENT 

Mindfulness has become quite an important concept in recent years because it can change lives. It can empower you to understand your thoughts better, live a peaceful life, and facilitate you to be stronger in your time of need. I feel it becomes more relevant when vacations or breaks come about, like summer or winter break. 

If you haven’t practiced mindfulness yet, it’s time you should. We will be guiding you throughout. 

7 practical ways to be more mindful

1. Do one thing at a time

When your focus is to be mindful, then you need to divert your attention to just one thing, not many. For instance, if you have piles of files to read, and a few more tasks like application filling, or anything else,

do one thing at a time. While you are at it, focus on what you are doing right now, and nothing else. Doing so will not only boost your concentration but will reduce your stress and anxiety as well. 

If you have many things to focus on, my favorite thing to use is this timer cube to set specific amounts of time to work on things. I try to use it when I have major deadlines and also need to shop for products for the next home renovation project we have going. It really does allow me to have a set deadline to work on things and when it beeps, I get to take a break or focus on something else. I feel it keeps me on track more and lets me focus on one thing at a time instead of trying to work on all the open tabs at once.

2. Focus on your breath

Do you know why breathing is integral in any kind of meditation? Because it helps in linking your body with your mind. When you are conscious of every breath you take, you are being in the present. I have learned to focus and actually breathe through stretching and yoga the most. Before I started doing those two things, I unconsciously would hold my breath and then be gasping for are doing the simplest of tasks. If you are going through something hard, focusing on the breath may be the thing that gets you through. 

That’s not it; doing so can tremendously boost your concentration levels, and help you stay more productive throughout. 

3. Practice active listening

There are a hundred noises that exist but you don’t hear them when you are engrossed in something.

But these almost inaudible noises can help you become mindful, every day. You can listen to clocks ticking, or the sound of the fan. Literary any noises that you neglect daily. 

My family knows I can hear almost everything, even when the room is noisy. I practice active listening and it allows me to remember and see and catch most things people miss because they are too worried about what they are going to say next and have no idea what is happening around them.

4. Listen to an Audiobook

If you happen to be a book lover, this is just for you. Listening to audiobooks can be entertaining and at the same time a great exercise to practice mindfulness and develop your listening skills. While you are at it, make full use of your imagination skills. Imagine as if you are in the book itself. Imagine every detail, picture everything the author is saying. 

5. Go for a walk

You might not get a lot of ideas at your home, but walking in a park can offer you many. You just have

to see everything there is to see on your walks. If there’s a kid in the pram, look at it, if a man is tying his shoes, look at him. Looking at things around you is a great way to practice mindfulness. If you have pets or kids, a walk is a great way to show them a new perspective as well as get out some energy. They might even give you some new ideas you didn’t think of as well. 

If you happen to take a run as well, then notice how you breathe after being exhausted and tired. Notice the movements of your chest and stomach while you gasp for breath after the run. It’s just another way to sync your body and mind. 

6. Practice meditation

Meditation and mindfulness go hand in hand, so much so that meditation is about mindfulness because it makes you focus on your thoughts and body at the same time. Meditation helps you discover things about yourself you didn’t think possible. When I first started meditating, I couldn’t quiet my mind so I used guided meditations. Then, as I did it more, and was used to it, I was able to quiet my mind on my own. Now, I use quiet moments throughout the day as a sort of meditation because I know what it feels like to be quiet in my mind. I find myself being much calmer when I take the extra moments to meditate. 

7. Don’t count the pages

How often do you find yourself counting pages that are left to cover? I bet all the time. Stop doing it

because it is the opposite of mindfulness. When you are worried about the remaining pages, you are not in the present but somewhere in the future for a few seconds. You don’t have to do that. Instead, you have to focus on the pages you are currently reading or writing, and that’s how you practice mindfulness. 

As a kid, when we had to take the reading tests in school, to “win” I would read the first chapters of the book and skip to the end to take the test and read the most books. I didn’t work because I usually didn’t get all the questions right to pass the test. I learned then and there, it’s so important to take in all the in between not only the beginning and the end.

That’s all we had to say. But there are a million more ways to practice mindfulness; you can practice it while doing any activity that you do.  

If you find these tips helpful, please let us know in the comment section. We also welcome suggestions or feedback that you would like to provide us.