Mindfulness in everyday life

You can make yourself mindful at any time of the day, and it doesn’t have to take long. If you’re short on time, have difficulty remembering to take time to practice, or just want to give yourself a few breaks during the day, you can choose an activity that you do, or a situation you are in, most days, and do it with full attention for e.g. 1-2 minutes. Use your senses to help.

Suggestions:

Take 10 mindful breaths, where you fully focus on how the breath feels in your chest, stomach and nostrils (alternate between these body parts). Let go of all other thoughts while doing the exercise. Take the opportunity to do so when you are queuing for the checkout, travelling on the escalator or waiting for the bus.
Brush your teeth for two minutes and do it with mindfulness. Feel how the toothbrush feels against your teeth, gums and tongue. Feel the muscle tension in your arm and the hand holding the toothbrush. Feel the taste of the toothpaste. If thoughts of demands and “musts” appear, you calmly return to mindfully observing your impressions during brushing your teeth.
Begin your breakfast, or any other meal, with about two minutes of silence where you direct all your attention to what you’re experiencing in the moment. What tastes do you notice? Are there different textures? Do you notice temperature differences? How does your body feel when you are sitting there? Try not to think anything about what you’re experiencing, stop at just observing and taking it in.