5 Mindfulness Practices Anyone Can Use To Change Their Life Right Now
How to easily start being present and discover your happiest self
Mindfulness (and meditation) have, rightfully so, been lauded as one of the most important things by people of all religious, spiritual, and scientific backgrounds for centuries.
Now, it would appear that every newsfeed, blog post, social media post, and Netflix show nowadays is wanting to sell you some form of repackaged mindfulness.
“We cannot control our external circumstances, but we can always control how we respond to them.”– Epictetus
It’s come back around in our world as a fad, a self-help trick, and something you should invest lots of money and energy in.
But in the words of the famous internet meme, “ain’t nobody got time for that.”
Being mindful is far more than a trend or fad.
It’s a scientifically proven way to be a more present and happy person — no matter how you choose to implement it in your life. Not all of us want to have an hour-long meditation practice, pay for a Headspace subscription, or hire a coach to show us how to be mindful in every waking hour.
Instead, I’d encourage you to implement simple and easy habits into your life that will allow you to ease yourself into a life of mindfulness, one that doesn’t require hours of effort each week, or throwing money at something that’ll be a quick fix for your overthinking and speedily moving mind.
Here are five habits that I’ve found and used myself that can help you be a more mindful person, nowhere you are, what you do, or what your context looks like:
#1: Wake up slowly
This does not mean getting out of bed while pretending to be a sloth.
I mean this in the sense of slowly letting your body ease into the morning, whatever this looks like for you. Waking up in a haphazard and rushed way is just annoying, not to mention a terrible way to start a good day.
If you find yourself doing this often, waking up to a rather violent alarm tone before opening your email or social media, and then rushing out the door to your first activity of the day be it your job or otherwise, I’d recommend trying something different.
“True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.” — William Penn
Maybe try the Sleep Cycle alarm clock that gradually wakes you up, or open your curtains so that the sun can help you wake up in the morning.
You could set up your Alexa or GoogleHome to play a quiet song as an alarm tone in the morning. or do something with a similar strategy that will allow you to wake up a little less violently and dramatically.
This practice can also be implemented in the 20 or so minutes after you wake up.
While at home from college, every morning I go into the kitchen and make coffee, and then venture out onto our back patio with my mom to sit, sip, and read together, oftentimes sharing what we’re learning or the cool new quote on Pinterest we stumbled across.
Your morning routine doesn’t have to look like this at all, but waking up slowly and taking in the morning with little to no technology and a couple of slow habits has been an absolute blessing for me, certainly making me more mindful and giving me a better outlook on the day.
#2: Read physical books
I love a good audiobook and find myself listening to them all the time in the car and in the shower. I also love a good eBook to read on a flight, or on my way to class. But I also love reading physical books.
There’s something about looking at a page in front of you that makes you think about how the author had to sit down and write every single word of that book that you’re holding.
“Though I enjoy the occasional eBook from time to time, I will only stop reading books printed on paper when they pry them from my cold, dead, withered hands, and even then, they will be hard pressed to take them from me.”
― H.L. Stephens
Physical books make you feel more in touch with the stories oftentimes and are simply wonderful keepsakes to write in and annotate and keep around you in an almost living-museum-type way.
They keep me more focused on what I’m reading because I can’t just swipe away to another app or go quickly answer a text message. Mostly, it helps me to stay mindful and enjoy the words the most. I’ll always enjoy having a few paperbacks around.
#3: Make time for quick mindful moments in your day
I used to not believe that meditation and deep breathing actually worked. And then I started practicing it before I went to sleep and occasionally when I woke up and realized how impactful it was.
Recently my therapist had me meditate in session, and I was a little worried and concerned about it, but quickly calmed my worries with the reminder that I knew she wouldn’t make it awkward.
“Meditation is not evasion, it is a serene encounter with reality” — Thich Nhat Hanh
I ended up enjoying it much more than I ever thought that I could, and it’s helped me move through the past couple of weeks with so much grace and power. And I’ve found myself wanting to meditate and be mindful and find peace and myself in so many other situations.
I’ve meditated on a beach, in my bed, at work. I’ve been able to have so many more special moments in my life and it’s been amazing. If you want to be more present, start with just one simple mindful practice — like doing deep breathing before you go to sleep.
#4: Respond to messages at a specific time
Making responding to online communication a habit rather than a constantly stressed response has been one of the single greatest decisions of my life.
I greatly enjoy putting all of the things that I have to do regarding responding to people in one place in my calendar and knocking it out all at once.
“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” — Paul J. Meyer
This not only saves me time, but it helps me to be a lot more thoughtful about my responses, effortful in my messages, and present in my in-person conversations. It also helps me to appreciate being able to communicate with so many people a day who I might not see face-to-face, and set aside time for other things in similarly helpful time blocks.
#5: Set barriers on your phone
This summer, I’ve decided to take some intentional steps away from social media and start consuming better and more worthwhile content that satisfies the deeper needs I have in my heart and mind.
Already, I’ve seen the incredible benefits of not connecting so much online. Life without constant online and superficial connections is incredibly peaceful and a much more fulfilling experience.
“Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.” — Picasso
My encouragement would be intentional with the way you set up your technology. Make sure that it is serving you, rather than the other way around. There are also countless resources far more eloquent and certified than I am to talk further on this subject.
Setting barriers with technology will help you not only see your motivations in using certain social media or other applications but also pursue more edifying apps and habits rather than mindlessly scrolling or reading headlines.
Being mindful is no easy task, and it truly will be the work of your life. But as a creator, a student navigating avoiding stress and making the most of my time in college, an aspiring poet and writer, and someone trying to do life better, it’s really worth it.
Feel free to drop your suggestions in the comments, and I hope to hear of your many successes in living a more mindful life. Wishing you the best of luck!
