There are many ways mindfulness can be used in day-to-day activities. Part of it is finding what works for you out of the many techniques. They all have one important item in common, which is keeping all of your attention on a situation or task. A few of my favorite mindfulness techniques are below.

  • Music: Use music as the focus! Choose to either focus completely on the sound or how you respond to the sound, with movements. Feel free to alternate between the two. This is normally the easier to start with because many are already doing it. Also see how music can affect your mood depending on the beat, lyrics, and tone of the song.
  • Meditation: I am a big fan of meditation, especially guided meditation. I have trouble focusing on just sitting and breathing so the imagery that comes with guided meditation works well. A quick search on YouTube produces many different guided meditations, which are a good guide for beginners. There are meditations for relaxation, pain management, energy, healing, and many others. Start with one that peaks your interest. The wonderful thing about meditation and guided meditation is how flexible it can be to suit your needs.
  • Mindful Eating: This intrigues many people since involves eating and can be a fun way to start mindfulness. Using food as the focal point, close your eyes and eat slowly. Normally a piece of fruit like a strawberry or clementine works best for me. Consume the food slowly and deliberately noticing how the texture, taste, and how your body reacts to the food being eaten. Slowing down this process helps give you the opportunity to experience these changes and have more enjoyment while eating smaller quantities of food.
  • Mindful Walking: Walking around a neighborhood, your house, or a park are all good options. The focus is on how your feet feel when they connect with the ground and push off. Take notice of your legs and how your body moves as you take each step. Try to pick out how different types of ground and flooring, and see how you feel as you walk across them. This can also be used for running as well, even doing this on a treadmill is an option.
  • Exercise: Focusing only on how the body is during the exercise. This can include how you feel while doing cardio or how your body interacts with weights or a workout machine. Taking notice of strain, form, and being aware of the change during repetitions is the main objective. Athletes use mindfulness, even if they are not aware, to produce better results while working out or performing. They are aware of how their body is responding to their workout.