As Jeremy Sutton ever so eloquently puts it: “Life can be overwhelming“. In our fast-paced world, where distractions abound and stress seems to lurk around every corner, finding moments of peace and mindfulness can feel like a luxury. Yet, amidst the chaos, there exists a powerful tool that can help us navigate through life’s ups and downs with greater ease: mindfulness. Whether you’re dealing with stress and anxiety or you’re looking for a way to feel more connected and at peace, mindfulness teaches us how to become more present. With greater awareness, we often make better choices, work more efficiently, build stronger relationships, and remain calm through the ups and downs of daily life.
What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment without getting tangled up in judgment or distraction. It’s about observing your experience (including your thoughts, feelings, and even surroundings) without trying to change them.
It sounds easy — and in theory it’s so simple — but it can be quite a challenge to avoid being swept into thought and rumination. The more you practice though, the easier it becomes, and the more natural it becomes to stay present in your daily life.
How to Practice Mindfulness
- Observe Your Thoughts
Your thoughts are always in your head, but that doesn’t mean you’re in control of them. As silly and small as it sounds, observing your thoughts is so important in practicing mindfulness as it helps you understand how to manage them. When a thought pops up, instead of reacting, just notice it. Don’t judge it or try to push it away.
Just observe and acknowledge it. The goal isn’t to achieve any particular feeling, thought, or state. It’s merely to observe what’s happening in the present moment. Observation helps you become more aware of your thought patterns over time and helps you to create distance between yourself and your thoughts.
2. Focus on what you need to do now, not everything all at once
It’s common to perceive juggling several things at once as a talent– it’s impressive to hear how much one has to do in such a short period of time but it’s too much sometimes. We have this idea that the more we take on, the more productive we are. But in truth, multitasking isn’t healthy or effective. Single-tasking leaves us more focused, more effective, and efficient. This goes beyond just assignments or tasks, even small things like brushing your teeth or having lunch.
Its so easy to mindlessly scroll on TikTok whilst brushing your teeth, or watching a show with all your meals, or trying to fall asleep; while you get bursts of dopamine doing mundane tasks, you’re not fully present in the moment and you’re not giving your full attention to what you’re doing. Taking the time to focus on one task at a time allows you to fully engage with the present moment, leading to greater satisfaction and fulfillment in your daily life.
This isn’t something thats easy to do, overthinking is chronic but comprehending the importance of your tasks is one way to try and overcome it.
3. Prioritise Mindful Activities
We hear it all the time– “Go on a walk”, “Take a social media free day”, “Journal every day”, “5 minutes of yoga every morning”– and it sounds useless, I agree; but there is a reason we hear it all the time. It’s common to underscore the significance of such simple tasks but these kinds of activities are allow us to ground ourselves away from the chaos that is school, work and social media. Whilst doing these activities is important, it’s the act of prioritising it that makes it different. Rather than think “I’ll go on a walk after I finish all my tasks”, go on a walk at a a set time, no matter what. Use the time to take a break, not to think about whats stressing you out but to relax, thats how to be mindful.
Three little steps, they seem so simple but they’re the best way to start being mindful. We exist in such a fast paced environment, where the only time we take a break is to mindlessly scroll online, a practice that subconsciously adds to our stress. These three steps are a way to incorporate mindfulness in our daily life and reclaim moments of tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle. In a world where constant stimulation and distraction are the norm, these simple steps offer a pathway to inner peace and presence.