Most likely, you’re one of the many people who constantly rush through their day, letting the worst parts of their day stick to them. It’s a common occurrence, unfortunately. As a society, we’re so on the go and obsessed with getting things done that we never take the time to sit down and think through and process the things happening. Luckily, some mindfulness exercises can help with that.
Mindfulness when waking up
Starting your day with a purpose is one of the best ways that you can start your day. We all have motivation when it comes to everything we do, so setting your intentions can help you become more mindful of your actions. A mindful wakeup is one way that you can achieve this:
- Sit up in a relaxed posture: before checking your phone, sit up in a relaxed position on a chair or on your bed. Close your eyes and become aware of the sensations around your body.
- Take deep breaths: This sounds easy, but it’s necessary. Breathe deep in through your nose and out through your mouth, becoming aware of the gentle, natural rise and fall of your chest and stomach.
- Ask yourself about your intentions: You can’t just set your intentions willy-nilly. Think about the things that you have to do and the people that you’ll meet throughout the day. These questions can look like this: How can I take the best care of myself? How may I become more connected to the world around me? How can I have the best impact on my life?
- Set your intention: Now that you have your schedule for the day, you can set your intentions. Think about what’s important to you, like staying patient, being kind to yourself, be grounded in delicate situations.
- Check-in with yourself: You’re not going to be able to predict what’s going to happen throughout your day perfectly. Checking in with yourself keeps yourself conscious of the world around you, as well as how you’re feeling.
Mindful eating
This one is particularly important. Unfortunately, because we’re so on the go, we rarely can savor the plate of food we’re eating. By learning how to eat mindfully, we can satisfy a number of needs that come with eating, both socially and nutritionally.
- Take a breath before eating: This slows your body down and allows us to transition more calmly into mealtime.
- Listen to your body: The last thing you want to do while eating is to not listen to your body’s hunger cues. Focusing on how hungry you are and how much you would really like to eat is one of the ways that you can eat, savor what you’re eating, and not eat to excess.
- Eat accordingly: Because you’ve quantified your hunger, you can eat accordingly. This allows you to be more mindful of what you eat and when you eat.
- Eat peacefully: This comes down to slowing down and actually savoring your food. Relax, and eat. Breathe deeply as you eat to keep yourself in the moment.
- If you don’t like it, don’t eat it: Eating is not only about nutrition but also what you want. If you’re not liking what you’re eating, you’ll only make yourself sick if you continue to force yourself to eat it.