Mindfulness is a way to connect to the present moment. It’s a good technique for helping you to relax and avoid thinking too much about either the past or the future. Instead, you focus on what’s happening now, whether it’s your environment or your thoughts and feelings. You can use mindfulness in lots of ways, from calming yourself if you’re feeling anxious to making better decisions that aren’t based on immediate reactions to your emotions. Mindfulness can help you be more in touch with yourself and what’s around you. There are also plenty of activities that you can do in a mindful way.
Creative Activities
Doing something creative is a good way to be more mindful. You can find yourself absorbed in what you’re doing, concentrating on each movement and staying in the present moment. It can be a good distraction from other things that might be happening in your life. There are lots of ways to practise mindfulness in a creative way and you don’t need to be particularly talented. You could do some colouring, painting, sewing, writing, gardening, playing an instrument, or whatever might take your fancy.
Play a Game
There are some games you can play that are perfect for practising mindfulness. Like creative activities, all of your attention can be on the game you’re playing. You could spend some time being mindful by getting out your Staunton chess set and enjoying a game of chess. You could also be more mindful when playing other types of board games. Video games can also be mindful experiences. In fact, some of them are designed to offer a mindful playing experience to help you build your skills in mindfulness. You can play games alone or with other people to feel the benefit of playing mindfully.
Mindful Exercise
Being active is a good way to be more mindful too, whether you get out in nature or move around at home. Yoga is a classic example of something that you can do mindfully. Another example is Tai Chi, which is also excellent for being more mindful and purposeful in your movements. But you could also go for a walk or bike ride, go for a run, or perhaps try something like canoeing or standup paddleboarding. These activities can all be mindful because you’re concentrating on being at one with your body, on moving in the right ways, and on getting the most out of the present moment.
Guided Meditation
If you’re interested in developing some skills and techniques in mindfulness, you might like to try some guided meditation sessions. You can easily find videos or audio meditations that you can use at home or you can find a class if you prefer. You can learn to take some time for yourself to relax, focus on the present, and develop skills that help you to be more aware of and in control of your emotions.
There are lots of ways to be mindful including but not limited to meditation. You can employ mindfulness in many of your daily activities.