10 Ways to Practice Mindfulness in Everyday Life

by Hannah Moran
Director of Operations / Yoga Teacher, Inner Fire Yoga

What is mindfulness?

In its simplest definition, “Mindfulness” is the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. 

In the modern world, we tend to lean into a more holistic and self-inquisitive definition: a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.

Why is it so difficult to be mindful?

This is a trick question, really… It’s not necessarily difficult to practice mindfulness once you get the hang of it, but on the other hand, there are so many forces working against us in the modern world. At any given moment, we are bombarded with dozens and dozens of distractions: texts, emails, memes, reminders, lists, calendars, news stories, etc… 

Mindfulness is not the absence of these distractions, but rather a state of being where we remain unattached to said distractions.

What are the benefits of practicing mindfulness?

Practicing mindfulness and/or meditation regularly can help you become less reactive, gain more control of your emotions and anxiety, and even be more productive. When we dedicate ourselves to being more mindful we not only reduce stress, but also prevent future stress through self-study, gaining insights into our own habits, patterns, and thoughts.

How can I practice mindfulness?

Fun Fact: You don’t have to practice asana in a hot room for 90 minutes in order to hone your mindfulness skills… Although we hope you make time for that, too! 

Practicing mindfulness is quite accessible. It can be practiced in a matter of minutes each day, and when practiced regularly, can yield dramatic benefits.

Below are 10 simple ways you can practice mindfulness without disrupting your everyday life. Even just a few minutes a day can start you on the path towards a more mindful, joyful, and fulfilling life.

10) Mindful walks.

Get outside and notice your surroundings. Listen to the birds and the wind, and feel the chilly winter air on your skin. Whether you’re in the woods or in the city, moving your body and noticing your surroundings can have incredibly calming and grounding effects on the mind

9) Deep breathing.

A Yogi’s favorite! Even just taking 3-10 slow, deep breaths, observing the sensations as you do so, can reduce stress and anxiety levels in a matter of seconds. The vagal nerve is a large nerve system that runs through the diaphragm and branches out into many of your internal organs. When you breathe deeply, that nerve is getting a nice, soothing massage, sending signals to the brain to relax. This is why it feels so darn good to breathe deeply!

8) Express gratitude.

When we focus less on what’s going wrong and more on what’s going right, a powerful shift in perspective occurs. Taking a few moments to express gratitude for something, someone, or somewhere in your life is a great mindfulness exercise to get yourself out of a funk. It’s not quite immediate, but if done regularly you might find yourself experiencing gratitude more often, without needing to search for it :)

7) Journaling.

One of my personal faves! Take a moment at the beginning or end of the day, week or month to celebrate your accomplishments, write down your goals, and reflect. There’s no telling where this kind of self-inquiry will lead, but I can tell you from experience that the potential is massive. 

6) Active listening.

Active listening is a great way to practice mindfulness in our relationships. If you’re not familiar, it is the practice of listening just to listen, rather than listening to respond. Here’s the key with this one: don’t expect the same from the person you’re talking to. The core of this exercise is to take your ego and agenda out of the conversation. Just listen, and listen with intention. You might find that with a little practice, you develop more compassionate communication skills than you’ve ever had before.

5) Do a body scan.

This tried-and-true practice of scanning the body for sensation, tension, etc. is utilized in many yoga classes, so perhaps you’re familiar. If not, you’re basically just focusing your attention on one body part at a time, from one end of your body to the other. Usually, we start at the tips of the toes and work our way to the crown of the head, but it can be done in either direction. As you scan, note all sensations (the good AND the bad) and work to relax any tension that you encounter.

4) Practice “noting.”

Noting is a mindfulness practice that involves observing the general flow of thoughts and feelings, noting when either one occurs. Start to feel a bit of anxiety? Note it - that’s a feeling. Start thinking about tonight’s dinner plans? Note it - that’s a thought. When you “note” these thoughts and feelings as they come up and identify them as such, you’ll start to find a bit of distance from those thoughts and feelings and they will have less power over your mood. This exercise helps us remember that you – that is the true, eternal “YOU” – are not your thoughts, nor your feelings. YOU are so much more than that.

3) Practice non-attachment.

Non-attachment is a pillar of yogic philosophy dating way back to the original Yoga Sutras compiled in the early centuries CE. The sanskrit word for it (Aparigraha) is sometimes also translated as non-grasping, or non-possession. It’s a timeless concept, really. It means that we don’t attach ourselves to our desires, qualities, thoughts or feelings. Once you get the hang of noting (as in #4 above), you might find that you begin to internalize the concept of non-attachment and start to feel that your desires and possessions exert less control over you.

2) Check in with the five senses.

When life becomes overwhelming, it can help to break things down, one sensory input at a time. What do you hear around you? What do you see? What do you taste, smell, and feel? Taking the time to notice your surroundings through the five senses will help ground you in the present moment and develop a greater appreciation for the world around you.

1) Be a single-tasker.

So many of us think we have to multitask all day long in order to get everything done, but this is a myth. There’s really no such thing as multitasking, in fact. All we’re doing when we think we’re multitasking is interrupting one task to start another, then interrupting that task to start another, and so on and so forth. Here’s an example of being a single-tasker: if you’re on your lunch break, just eat lunch. Close the emails and focus solely on the nourishment that you’re providing for your body and mind. If you resolve yourself to focus on one thing at a time, whether it’s eating lunch, writing an email, or practicing yoga, you’ll actually end up being more productive in the long run. So be a single-tasker :)

In Practice…

Remember that mindfulness, like yoga, is a practice. It’s not meant to go perfectly right away. It takes time, dedication, and discipline to really attune to your most mindful self.

My recommendation if you’re just starting out is to schedule about 5 minutes a day (maybe set a reminder on your phone) to practice being present. Over time you can work up to 10-15 minutes or more, but 5 minutes a day is plenty for starters. Baby steps!

What are your favorite ways to practice mindfulness? Leave it in the comments!