How to fit mindfulness into every day life
I was talking to a patient recently about how it can be challenging to fit all of the health and wellness todos into a daily schedule.
Between getting the kids to school, exercise, active recovery, and meal planning and prepping, it was hard to see when she would have any time to do her actual job, much less find extra time for “fun.”
She was having a particularly hard time adding a mindfulness practice into her daily routine, even though she saw how beneficial it was when she did it.
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Mindfulness practices should not be a burden and add to your stress – that would be counterproductive!
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So we started talking about the possible small steps she could take toward her goals.
Our conversation brought to mind the concept of “exercise snacks.” This concept has gained popularity based on research indicating significant health benefits from 30-second to 5-minute bursts of exercise. Instead of going to the gym for 45 minutes to an hour, shorter “exercise snacks” can still be very effective and beneficial to cardiovascular, cognitive and muscular health.
So what if we applied this concept to “mindfulness snacks”? Instead of trying to meditate for a specific time every day, what if you worked on being mindful in short bursts during your daily activities? When you’re driving, you can be mindful of your breathing and the feeling of your hands on the steering wheel. You can be mindful of the feeling of the soap and water on your hands as you wash dishes in the evening. As you are reading this email, see if you can notice the sensation of your socks on your feet or your feet on the ground.
30-second “bursts” of mindfulness can be incredibly beneficial to your mood and energy and, most importantly, are much more likely to happen for most people. Additionally, as you notice how good you feel after each mini session, you will be more likely to do more sessions. Think of it as a gateway practice to lower stress and nervous system reactivity.
After all, the goal for any mindfulness meditation practice is that you apply the mindfulness to your every day life. What might happen if you START applying small mindful moments to your every day life?
