Shhhhh! I'm Trying To Be Mindful!
Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash
Mindfulness is all the rage right now. There are a million pins teaching you how to be mindful, and just about as many books or articles. The problem is trying to find the time to be mindful!
How to Find the Time For Easy Mindfulness Exercises
If you’re trying to balance children, a partner, work, extracurriculars, homework, preschool, nap time, volunteering, self-care, your own hobbies, and everything else you’re faced with on a daily basis, overwhelm can set in quickly. I could write a whole blog post about everything that I have to do, and I'm sure your list is just as long (if not longer). The last thing on our list is to take some time to ground ourselves so we can continue to move forward with the many responsibilities we have.
Small but Effective Grounding, or Mindfulness Exercise to Try
This easy and quick mindfulness exercise can take as long or as little time as you need. So, put a show on for your kids or lock yourself in the bathroom and give this a try.
Take three calming breaths and look around while identifying:
5 things that you see. Notice what’s around you and focus on five things. It can be 5 things in one painting, 5 things on a shelf, etc. Any five things will do.
4 things that you feel. Do you feel a breeze blowing on your arm? Can you feel where your sleeve touches your arm? Maybe you feel the cold ground underneath you. Really hone in on feelings that you sometimes wouldn’t notice.
3 things that you hear. This could be as simple as the hum of your furnace, the blades swirling on a fan, or water dripping from the faucet.
2 things that you smell. Pay attention to the different smells around you when doing this quick mindfulness exercise.
1 thing that you taste. You might not be able to put a name to the taste you currently have in your mouth, but you will more than likely be able to determine if it’s pleasant, sweet, sour, salty, etc. It’s up to you to determine what “taste” you name.
Tips to Practice Easy Mindfulness and Grounding Exercises Every Day
Here are four tips to making sure you are able to do your quick mindfulness breaks every day.
Schedule a mindfulness break in your calendar like you would an appointment.
Set alarms and/or reminders on your phone and watch so you don’t miss your window of opportunity.
At the end of your lunch break, save five minutes for your mindfulness exercise so you ensure you can complete it.
Add this quick mindfulness exercise to your morning routine so it becomes a habit.
You will be surprised at how five minutes of reconnecting with yourself can help you throughout the day.
More Helpful Resources
If this daily mindfulness exercise and grounding exercise was helpful, but you’re still looking for more help, contact our office to make an appointment with one of our therapists and any of our four locations or virtually.
Check out this article to help your children learn how to be mindful and implement mindfulness daily routines into their lives.