What we practice grows stronger and becomes automatic, and for the most part this serves us well, allowing us to learn skills and ultimately be able to execute them without thinking or requiring our undivided attention. Take driving a car, for example, once you learn how to drive, you don’t need to give your full attention to it. You can monitor the movement of other cars on the road, think about your day’s schedule or sing along to music as you change gears and manage the accelerator.
This capacity of our brain to ‘hardwire’ actions and reactions means that much of what we do happens automatically, or on autopilot, without conscious thought while our thinking mind is elsewhere, absorbed in other matters. In fact, 50-95% of what we think, feel, say and do is done via habit, without thinking, full attention or conscious intent. In other words, much of what we do we do mindlessly.
This can create mental havoc and suffering if we spend this large amount of time each day worrying about the future, cringing or fuming over the past or getting caught up in judgements, resistances, perceived slights or unmet expectations. We forget that there is nothing to worry or feel bad about in the present moment. When we are truly present, we are at peace and we can be happy. But we need to bring our attention out of the future, past or any other imagined scenario and back into the present moment to experience it.
This is what being mindful is all about. Taking stock, regularly, of where our attention is and intentionally bringing it back into the here and now, the eternally peaceful present moment. This process enables us to stop energy drains, maintain calm, clarity and balance throughout the day, be intentional in our response to life instead of reactive and it only takes a matter of seconds. Dotted throughout the day, being mindful in this way – often referred to as informal meditation – can have a huge impact on our state of mind, mental health and general wellbeing, not to mention our concentration, productivity and creativity.
Practicing mindfulness is about training your attention to stop overthinking about the past or future and it builds the ability to recognise when your attention is being or has the potential to be hijacked and to instead keep it focused on the activities you choose.
Informal Meditation; 5 x 2mins throughout day = 10 mins of daily practice!
There are many ways to practice informal meditation, or do things mindfully, all of which involve being present as you perform tasks. The essence of all meditation is to shift from thinking to sensing, to draw attention away from mental activity – thoughts, memories, imaginations and the emotions that go with them - and create a space of no-mind in which you are present, in other words you are highly alert and aware but not thinking. Being aware of our outer and inner senses helps us do this, as our physical senses are always perceiving in the present moment, thus they can anchor us in the Now. To be mindful is to be present, aware of your inner and outer worlds without judgement, opinion or running commentary. To be mindful is to just observe and accept what is, as it is, without needing to interpret, change or resist anything.
In other words, to stay present in everyday life, it helps to be deeply rooted within yourself, to inhabit your body fully, to be aware of the aliveness within your body or to feel the body from within. Without this anchoring of attention in the body, the mind can behave like a monkey, never still, constantly swinging from tree to tree (thought to thought), and often causing havoc. Informal meditation, therefore, or mindfulness involves being aware of what is happening within and without your body without reference to thought, memory or imagination. This practice is a doorway to knowing that you are beyond the body and mind (i.e. personality), you are that which is aware of your body and mind.
Practise Mindful Moments
The following are general hints on bringing more mindfulness into your day. Find or modify what works for you, practice it regularly and see if it makes a difference.
In your everyday life, you can practice creating mindful moments as you undertake routine activities that you normally might not give much attention to and instead give them your fullest attention. For example, having a shower, brushing your teeth, making a cup of tea, walking, driving, making dinner, gardening, listening to music, doing the dishes can all become mindful activities, or opportunities to practice mindfulness, when you intend to be present, to stay in touch with your senses and to let go of judgement, interpretation or thought as you do them. Punctuating these moments throughout your day and turning this practice into a habit allows you to not get too caught up in or unbalanced by stressful thoughts, be happier and more peaceful.
For example, be mindful every time you walk to the toilet or to a meeting; feel your weight shifting from foot to foot, feel your clothing move against your skin, feel your legs swing up, back, forward and down, notice what other body parts move as you walk, pay close attention to every step, every moment, even your breathing. Be totally present. Or when you wash your hands, pay attention to all your senses associated with washing your hands: the sound, temperature and feel of the water, the feeling of your hands touching each other, the scent of the soap and so on. Or when you get into your car, after you close the door, pause for a few seconds and observe the flow of your breath. Be aware of a silent but powerful sense of presence.
Throughout the day, come to your senses; move from thinking to sensing. Keep your mind with whatever you are doing, if your attention wanders to something else, bring it back to your body and senses. Notice what is happening, right here, right now, internally and externally?
Being Mindful As You Do Things
Step 1). Choose an activity, slow it down slightly, focus on your physical sensations and keep your mind with your body and the experience of what you are doing. Be fully aware of what is happening. Bring your attention back each time you notice it has wandered to something other than the experience or feeling of what you are doing.
Step 2). Become aware of the sense of yourself that is aware you are engaged in the activity; be open to observe without judgment. Notice thoughts, memories, opinions, expectations etc, accept that they are there, then let them go by bringing your attention back to your senses. What can you see? What can you hear? What can you feel? What can you smell? What can you taste? Can you feel the aliveness within your body? Tuning into your senses is a great way to come back to your body, the present moment and experience a state of balance. You can practise this anytime, anywhere.
Other Ideas to Make Your Day More Mindful
Take regular short breaks from the momentum of persistent thoughts that lead to needless stress. Here are other ideas to re-ground and centre yourself during your day:
1. Start the day with presence
When you look in the mirror in the morning, take three deep, conscious breaths and pause to be present before you start thinking about your day. Then, as you clean your teeth, go slow and pay attention to the taste, feel, smell, sound, sight and use the sensations to bring your attention back to the present moment, instead of mentally projecting yourself into the day ahead or elsewhere. You are here, not there (yet).
2. Savour your morning coffee or tea
When you’re drinking your favorite morning beverage, you’ll taste it more and enjoy it better if you sip it, taking pauses to experience the full sensation of what you’re doing (sight, smell, taste, temperature, texture, sound). This little act can help to set you up for the day: use your senses to bring you back into your body. It’s hard to think and sense at the same time. Watch where your mind is and bring it back to the sensory experience of drinking your coffee or tea.
3. Take a mindful walk. Get into nature
At some point every day, take a short mindful walk—even if it’s only around the office—paying full attention to each step as your foot hits the ground, and the other foot lifts, swings, and lands. If you can make the walk slightly longer or get outside and into nature, you’ll get some exercise while also getting out of your head and into your body for a few minutes. Nature is a great relaxer and it is much easier to be present in nature – what colours, shapes, textures, animals, plants can you see? What can you smell? What can you hear? Look up at the sky and sense its vastness, feel the breeze or sunshine on your skin. You cannot be stressed and fully present in nature at the same time.
4. Eat mindfully and with gratitude
Whenever you eat a meal, take a moment to be thankful that you have good nourishing food and be grateful for all the resources it took to be on your plate. Be fully present to the experience of eating, slow down and savour your meal. See, smell, feel, taste, hear your experience as you mindfully chew and swallow your food. Don’t let your mind become absorbed in anything other than the sensory experience of eating. This little moment of gratitude and mindfulness can shift your attitude, make you feel satiated sooner, enhance the eating experience and improve your digestion.
5. Slow down before you sleep
Take a moment with your feet on the floor before you get into bed. Just take 3 minutes to follow your breath as it goes out, noticing thoughts, and letting them dissolve, returning to the breath. Let yourself ‘swap hats’ so you can let go of the day before fully enjoying the experience of getting into bed.
No doubt you can think of more ideas. How do you practice informal meditation AKA being mindful in everyday life?
Check out our free Podcast for more tips and inspiration.
If you haven’t listened to our podcast yet, tune in to hear how everyday people bring mindfulness into their busy days, along with other tips, stories and inspiration on the many ways people use meditation and mindfulness techniques to make life easier and more enjoyable.
Listen on Podbean, Apple, Spotify, Google and other major platforms.
Enjoy our Free Guided Meditations on Soundcloud
Images by Jakayla Toney and Chandan Chaurasia | Unsplash