How To Adopt Mindfulness In Your Everyday Life (Even If You Are Too Busy)

I know you can relate to having a busy schedule that makes it seem like you can never have time to practice formal mindfulness. This is even when you know the benefits that come with mindfulness.

You may often blame your busy schedule for “denying you a chance” to live in the present moment. However, the truth couldn’t be any further. To nurture mindfulness, you don’t have to dedicate hours of your day to it.

The good news is that, no matter how busy you are, you can nurture mindfulness nurture in your everyday life.

In today’s blog post, I’ll endeavor to show how to practice and integrate mindfulness into your daily routine. All that, without making the process too overwhelming and unmanageable.

As I’ve stated in previous blog posts, I only share strategies that have worked for me. Experimentation is the only way to figure out if they’ll work for you. I’m sure that if you embrace self-experimentation, one or two of the strategies I’ll share will work for you.

With that mentioned, let’s get started:

#: Be mindful of waking up every morning

Upon waking up in the morning, most of us quickly shut off our blaring alarm clocks and head straight for the bathroom. Most times, we are in a hurry because we slept through the many alarms we have and are running late.

Likewise, we tend to jump from one task to the other without ever being intensely aware of what we are doing.

Mindfulness is about living in and truly enjoying the present moment. You can do that first thing in the morning by simply being aware that you have woken up.

Always set your alarm for 5 minutes earlier than your usual wake-up time. Upon waking up, use those five minutes to acknowledge and be grateful that you have risen while many others didn’t. Moreover, look at your bedroom —and yourself— as if you are seeing everything for the first time.

When you do this, it anchors you to the present moment, calms you, and increases your excitement for what you have planned.

#: Be grateful for one blessing every hour

How often do you count your blessings or feel genuinely happy for what life has so kindly given you? If you don’t do that often, this failure is one of the causes of your mindlessness in life.

Focusing on your blessings is a beautiful way to connect with, engage, and immerse yourself in the present moment.

Upon waking up in the morning, think of one thing that adds value, convenience, comfort, and tranquility to your life.

It could be:

• Sleeping for 7 hours a night
• Waking up to a bright, cheery morning
• Feeling active and fresh
• Or having an exciting event planned for the day

The simple act of acknowledging a blessing will brighten you and set a positive tone for the day.

Additionally, look for something —or two— to be thankful for every hour so that you can keep acknowledging your blessings. In so doing, you will have a lot to be grateful for by the end of the day. When you do this, as you head off to bed, you are likely to have a beautiful smile. You are also likely to have newfound appreciation for your life.

#: Sip your coffee more mindfully

Gulping down coffee just because you have to rush to work is not fun at all. It becomes a robotic act instead of something that could be meaningful and happiness-inducing.

From this day on, carve out a few minutes to sip your coffee/tea peacefully. In so doing, you relish those moments and turn the mere act into something mindful, meaningful, and memorable.

When you sip your coffee, do so more mindfully. Take a whiff of its aroma, then when you take a sip, feel the texture of your coffee on your tongue, and focus on the different flavors you can taste.

You may think doing this takes a lot of time, but in actuality, it takes only a couple of minutes. 2 to 4 minutes of your time is enough to enjoy your morning coffee mindfully. These 2-4 minutes would enable you to start your day energetically and joyously.

#: Chew food slowly

If you eat in a rush, swallowing down one bite after another, you won’t enjoy your food. When you gulp down food, even your most favorite meal won’t be delicious. And should the need arise, you will have to focus intensely to recall its taste. This is even just after a few minutes of eating. That happens because you are not mindful of the food you eat or how you eat it.

Give yourself a break from this routine by deciding to start eating mindfully.

When you sit to eat, serve yourself a small serving and take one little bite at a time. Before moving onto the next bite, chew the current one 20 to 30 times. As you chew, pay attention to the texture, flavors, and aroma. And when you swallow, observe yourself as the food moves down your gut. If you need to, serve yourself a second helping. Otherwise, drink a glass of water, and eat after a few hours.

When you eat in this manner, you enjoy your food more and become more thankful for it. What’s more, you only eat as much as you need, which can greatly help you manage your portions and weight.

#: Shower and brush your teeth peacefully

You have learned how to engage in other tasks mindfully. Do the same with showering, brushing your teeth, and wash your face.

Generally, no matter what you do, do it slowly and mindfully, and engage your five senses. Engaging your senses in experiences helps you carry out every chore with mindfulness and enjoy every moment.

#: Don’t bring work home

When your work hours end, leave all your files and work-related worries at the office. You want to return home to relax and enjoy your personal and family time.

Spend some quality ‘me-time’ with yourself and some with your family. This way, you will create a work-life balance that will help you create and enjoy a well-rounded life.

#: Listen and observe mindfully

Every time you have to listen to or observe something, do it mindfully.

Pay attention to what you are hearing and observing, and do so without judgment or holding onto preconceived notions. Doing this helps you adopt an objective attitude towards everything. This can greatly help you perceive things for what they are.

Mindfulness is not about making your life difficult. It’s about simplifying it. Practice the simple measures above to adopt mindfulness in your routine life and make every moment count.