5 Ways to Easily Add Mindful Moments to Your Day

Mindful moments include those that allow us to slow down, step away from the constant noise of our lives, and live in that moment (even if it's a short period of time). Many of us are overstimulated, whether we realize it or not. Often times this can show up as being exhausted, feeling like you are about to snap, extreme mood shifts, and wanting to shut down. To help relieve these feelings, you can easily incorporate these 5 things into your day:

1. Drive without the radio on

When was the last time you drove somewhere with no music playing?

People look at me like I am crazy when I mention that I prefer to drive in silence. I don't always do this, but it is so nice to occasionally turn the radio off and just be with my thoughts. Think about this; when you are driving, your mind is computing so much information. How to drive the car, looking around to make sure other drivers are at safe distances, figuring out directions you need to go to get to your destination, seeing buildings/ads/lights/animals/people out and about, suddenly breaking if the cars in front of you stop short, talking to people in the car with you, etc. It's a lot! There's so much going on in that moment that your mind is already overstimulated. Having the radio on is one more thing that your mind is paying attention to. By keeping it off, you can focus more on driving safely and you can also spend time thinking. We often forget to spend time just with our thoughts, either because we are too busy to do so or because we don't want to be with our thoughts. Either way, spending more time thinking and less time consuming helps our brain process events that are stressful (thereby problem solving more efficiently), strengthens our focus, and improves our memory capabilities.

2. Eat without watching tv

Have you ever heard of mindful eating? It's when you eat without distractions so that you can pay attention to your body's cues of when you are full instead of mindlessly eating until you are past the point of fullness. In addition to better feeling your satiety, eating without watching tv can give you quality family time as you talk to your spouse (and children if you have them) about your days, your plans for the week, what you dream to do in the future, etc. Eating without watching tv is something I always did growing up, but in my adult years it has not been a regular habit. I admit to wanting to zone out after a long day at work. Every year I create new goals, and eating more meals without the tv on is always on that list, and I honestly do not improve much with it from year to year. I say all this because I know it can be difficult to do as an everyday thing, but even doing this one night a week makes a huge difference. If the weather is nice outside, it's even better if you can take your meal outdoors and enjoy the weather and company instead of binging Netflix.

3. Go screenless for 30 minutes before/after sleeping

There has been a lot of research about how screen time affects sleep. Most professionals recommend being without the blue light for an hour before bed. This may not be feasible for you, so maybe try just 30 minutes instead. Turn off your tv, tablet, laptop, and put your phone down for a half hour before you want to be asleep. Instead, spend the time reading, listening to music, journaling, cleaning, or practicing yoga. By doing this, you'll have better quality sleep and you'll end the day with mental stimulation instead of mental numbing. Alternatively (or additionally), you can try to not use screen for the first 30 minutes of you day. I know I personally have a bad habit of checking my phone and scrolling on social media when I first wake up. If you do this too, you are starting the day off in a way that causes us to compare our lives to the "perfect" lives of others on social media. You'll already be thinking that you aren't pretty enough, rich enough, or outgoing enough. Why start your day in a mindset that says you aren't enough? Instead, keep your phone next to your bed and only check to see if somebody has texted or called you in desperation. If so, obviously pay attention to that. If not, spend the first half hour of your day doing other things that are important to you.

4. Have your morning drink outside

I know a lot of people need to start their day drinking tea or coffee. Some people take it with them on the way to run errands or go to work. Others sit and watch tv with it as a way to wake up. Instead of taking your drink to-go or watching tv with it, sit outside for a few minutes as you sip. You'll be focusing on the drink more than normal, and you'll notice it tastes even better because you aren't distracted. In these moments, you'll start your day in peace and calmness instead of rushing out the door or watching negative news tv stations. This doesn't have to take a long time. You don't even need to drink the entire drink outside if you really don't have time for it. Maybe set a timer on your phone for 1 minute and sit out there for 1 moment of mindfulness, and then continue on with your day.

5. Express gratitude in the shower

Gratitude is such an important habit to partake in. It is not what we want that will make us happy; it's being grateful with what we DO have that makes us happy. The great thing about having a gratitude practice is that it doesn't take very long, and it is very easy to do! If you need to save time and you can't sit down to write out things you are grateful for, just think about it while you are in the shower. Pair your habit of showering with the habit of thinking of 3 things you are grateful for that specific day. You can also tell yourself to spend the entire time it takes you to shampoo your hair listing things you are grateful for. Besides doing it while you are showering, you choose to instead do it while you are brushing your teeth or driving to work (while you don't have the radio on). These are just ideas, but you can incorporate it into any part of your morning or nighttime routine that works best for you.

Mindful Moments Make a Difference

These 5 ways to easily include mindful moments in your busy day will enable you to live in the moment more, enjoy life's simple pleasures, and connect with yourself and others in more meaningful ways. There are so many other ways you can do this, and I would love to hear what you do that builds in more mindful moments to your day. Comment here or send me a message on Facebook or Instagram!