11 Ways To Practice Mindfulness Daily

How do you practice mindfulness?

It’s not such a hard question to answer, but the application can be more challenging than it might initially appear.

That’s because our minds hold a lot of power over us.

Answer these questions honestly:

How much of your day do you give up to stress, worry, regret, and rumination?

How much time do you spend thinkingabout the future— the next thing you want to do or achieve?

How much time do you spend longing for things to be different than they are?

Life is busy and distracting．You are constantly pulled away to the next thought, task, or obligation.

Every day there are challenges to face, painful memories that bubble to the surface, and unexpected emotions that wash over us.

Our minds respond automatically, sending us down rabbit holes of negative thinking or longing. It feels like our minds determine ouremotional well-being— like we have no control over what pops in our heads and takes over our thoughts.

But wedohave control．

And we do have the ability to transform many of our moments into peaceful, happy, and contented experiences through the practice ofmindfulness．

What Are The Benefits of Mindfulness?

A daily mindfulness practice has many benefits beyond enhancing your daily experiences and reducing the suffering that comes with rumination and judgment. Mindfulness has been researched extensively and shown to:

Reduces rumination and overthinking.
Reduce stress by decreasing the levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Improve memory, concentration, and performance.
Help maintain emotional stability.
Improve relationship happiness.
Reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Improve sleep.
Protect against mental illness.
Provide pain relief.

With repetition of mindfulness activities, you will create real changes in brain function and structure, fostering a state of mindfulness that can become an enduring trait.

Just as exercise habits will change your body, mindfulness habits will literally reshape your mind.

There are many ways to exercise your mindfulness muscle and deepen your skills as a practitioner of present moment awareness.

How Do I Begin Practicing Mindfulness?

What if you could live each moment as amicrocosm of your happiest, most contented times, without the mental and emotional baggage of distraction and anxiety?

This might seem impractical — even impossible. But it’s not. You simply need to begin the practice of mindfulness, and through practice, you’ll develop a mindfulness habit that gets stronger over time.

To begin, remind yourself to be more present and engaged in all you do. Put sticky notes where you’ll see them that say, “Be Present,” or “Pay Attention” so you remember.

Rather than allowing your mind to wander or distractions to pull you away, focus intently on the task or action at hand.

When your mind slips away, gently guide it back. Your mind will fight with you at first, but soon you won’t have to tame it so often.

What’s In This Article?

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How to Practice Mindfulness: 11 Ways To Practice Mindfulness Daily Even If You Are A Beginner

Mindfulness isn’t a complex concept. It simply meanspaying attentionandbeing awarein thepresent momentto what you are doing, thinking, feeling, and experiencing.

When you pay attention with awareness, you can fully experience the only true reality that exists — this moment right now.

What you are planning or worried about for later today, for tomorrow, for next year — these things are only mental constructs that have no form or substance.

Right now. This is where it’s all happening. And you have control over your experience of right now.

1. Practice non-judgmental awareness.

Rather than judging your thoughts and experiences as good or bad, right or wrong, hurtful or helpful, simply observe them with compassionate non-attachment.

Judgment is a thought that arises within awareness and left to its own devices, the brain will immediately begin assigning a label to thoughts and feelings.

“I’m feeling lonely. That’s bad. Loneliness makes me unlovable.”
“My friend hasn’t called me. She must not like me anymore.”
“That salesperson didn’t speak to me. She is really rude.”

These assessments happen so instantaneously that our experiences are colored before we can even process them. Mindfulness requires being aware of that tendency and slowing down enough to take a fresh perspective.

It’s about bringing awareness and intentionality to the moments of our lives so we can pause to notice our feelings in a detached way. This allows us the space to reassess and see the world without our own filters.

You may wonder, “Why should I practice non-judgmental awareness?” Loneliness does hurt. People do reject you. Bad things can happen.

But when you judge, you add another layer of suffering to painful events. I’m lonely, and now I feel bad about myself because I’m lonely. My friend didn’t call, and now I feel like a rejected loser because I think she doesn’t like me.

When you layer judgment on top of experiences, you put a filter between yourself and the experience, watering it down and diverting your awareness from the moment.

Once you start labeling, you’ve lost part of the experience.

2. Discover a flow state.

Have you ever been so engaged in what you are doing that you get lost in it? Maybe it’s practicing the piano, working on a puzzle, or writing a blog post. This experience is called a state of flow (coined by psychologistMihaly Csikszentmihalyi).

You aren’t thinking about whether or not the activity is good or bad, or whether you are doing it right or wrong, or when you need to have it finished. You are just doing it and enjoying the experience of doing it.

With mindfulness, you bring that same sense of aliveness and attentiveness to everything you do. Your thoughts aren’t wandering. You are just there — feeling it, being it, doing it, experiencing it with all of your senses and emotions.

And this pure awareness affords an incredible sense of freedom, contentment, and inner peace. It liberates you to fully live your life.

3.练习正念冥想呼吸。

Noticing your breath is the best way to ground yourself in mindful awareness, and it is the beginning point for most mindfulnessmeditation practices．

Mindful breathing helps you manage stress, anxiety, anger, and other negative emotions. It also improves your ability to concentrate and stay focused without the distractions of your “monkey mind.”

Mindful breathing grounds you in the immediacy of your own body, as you simply focus on your inhalations and exhalations.

To begin amindful breathing meditation,find a relaxed, comfortable position seated on a chair or cushion. Keep your back upright, and take one or two deep cleansing breaths to get started.
Direct your attention to your breath.Follow the breath as you inhale and your lungs fill up and as you release the breath and exhale through your nose. Try to breathe naturally but with awareness.
Pay attention to where you feel your breathin your body — your abdomen, your chest or throat, or in your nostrils. Notice all of the sensations of breath, one breath at a time. Notice the fluidity of breathing when one breath ends and the next breath begins.
You will likely notice your mind starts to wander.Gently usher your mind back to your breathing, as you would usher a toddler back to bed. Try not to judge your mind wandering.

如果哟u need help staying focused on your breathing, count with each exhale up to ten and then start over from one to ten.

Practice this breathing meditation for five to ten minutes, increasing your time over the next few weeks. As you improve with your focusedattention on breathing, you’ll be able to apply your skill to other areas of your life.

4. Practice mindful gratitude daily.

Gratitude is a mindfulness practice that opens you to joy, compassion, and appreciation of the life that sustains you. It focuses your attention on what you have in your life right now that is good and positive.

When youpractice gratitude, it’s much harder for your mind to wander into longing, regret, worry, or despair. And fortunately, research has shown that the more you practice gratitude, the happier and more grateful you will feel.

An excellent gratitude practice is daily journaling. Just the effort of journaling itself is a mindfulness practicebecause you are willfully encouraging your mind to be present with your writing.

It forces your brain to slow down to better organize your thoughts and consider the big picture. It is an uninterrupted connection between thought and language.

Take time in the morning or evening to journal about the people, events, possessions, experiences, and gifts for which you feel grateful.
Go into expressive detail, and attempt to really feel the feelings of gratefulness for everything you write about. Contemplate each item for a few minutes after you write about it.
Consider what your life would be like without these people andthings you are gratefulfor, which will enhance your experience of gratefulness.
如果哟ur mind wanders, or you find yourself just methodically listing items, return your attention to the experience of gratitude.

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5. Practice noticing your thoughts.

Yourrandom thoughtscan trigger anxiety, unhappiness, and anger and can keep your mind trapped in a cycle of longing and negativity.

This cycle happens because we are unconscious of our thoughts, and allow the monkey mind to run rampant without challenging it. Rumination becomes a bad habit, almost an addiction, that leads to suffering and undermines the quality of our lives.

When you apply mindfulness to your thoughts, you can change this cycle of suffering. By becoming the silent and dispassionate watcher of your thoughts, you understand how unsubstantial and often misguided your thoughts are, freeing you from the emotional power they have over you.

Any easy way to begin noticing your thoughts is by using a physical reminder, like wearing a rubber band on your wrist.
Use the rubber band as a trigger to stop and notice your thoughts. Just pretend to be an outside observer, and look at your thoughts as you would notice clouds passing in the sky. Just notice, don’t judge.
Pay attention to how often you are focused on negativity, longing, or some distraction that pulls you away from the moment.
Pay attention to how often your thoughts are in control and how your thought patterns impact your emotions and moods.
Gently redirect your thoughts back to the task at hand or to a more positive, productive mindset.

6. Practice mindfulness in your daily routine.

The opportunity for mindfulness is in everything you do, in every task and seemingly unimportant activity of your day.

Even the most experienced mindfulness practitioners are faced with the day-to-day tasks of living and must translate the freedom of mindfulness into real life experiences.

当你使你的注意力和精神集中whatever you are doing, you are truly living.

You aren’t regretting the past or longing for something in the future. You are here, now, experiencing the beauty and perfection of the moment.

In our hurried and hectic lives, when we race from one thing to another, it can be challenging to slow down enough to savor what you are doing in the moment you are doing it. But the benefits of slowing down allow you to have a more expansive acquaintance with even the most mundane tasks.

When you make your morning coffee or tea, pay attention to each step. Notice the steam rising from your cup. Smell the aroma of the tea leaves or coffee beans. Savor each sip.
When you wash the dishes, feel the water running over your hands. Notice the smoothness of the dish. Dry the dish thoroughly and tenderly.
When you mow the lawn, notice the neat rows of mowed grass, the smell of the freshly cut lawn, and the way your body feels pushing the mower.

Bring attention and presence to whatever you are doing, and you will discover a much more intense appreciation and joy in every element of your day.

7. Be present with loved ones.

How many families in how many households around the world begin their days with little to no interaction with the people they hold most dear?

They rush to and from work, school, and other activities. When at home, they are distracted by technology and television.

What are we working so hard for anyway, if not to spend quality time with our loved ones? How can we have close and connected relationships if we aren’t fully present for those we love?

Being present with someone means you are fully attentive, engaged, and focused on the other person.

You aren’t looking at your phone, distracted by the television, or thinking about the next thing you need to do.

You are actively listening, responding, and showing with your words, expressions, and demeanor that you are completely in the moment with this person.

8. Enjoy mindful awareness of nature.

The tender beauty and simplicity of nature is what makes it so ideally suited to practicing mindfulness.

与我们的日常生活和周围的世界us, nature’s allure is often subtle. The light filtering through trees. The call of a bird. The wind rustling through leaves. These things quieten us and call us more deeply into ourselves.

The simple experience of walking outside in your own backyard is a great opportunity to practice mindfulness. Sights, smells and sounds are ever present, yet often go unnoticed.

When you pay attention, you discover a universe of bliss available to you in the intricacies and the grandeur of the natural world.

Walk outside and look at a tree.Stand a distance away from the tree and focus all of your attention and senses on this tree.
Sit outside in a quiet spotin nature and just listen. Notice all of the sounds around you, from the wind rustling the leaves to the call of birds.
Take a blanket or towel outsideand lie on your back. Look up at the clouds and just observe them floating by. Notice the shapes of the clouds and what they remind you of.
Take a walk in the woodsand collect items from nature that speak to you (a rock, a leaf, etc.). Pay attention to the smallest elements of the natural world that you feel connected to.

9. Practice mindful body awareness.

Most mindfulness practices begin with your body by drawing your attention to your breath and the quality of sensation.

In ancient Buddhist teachings of “The Four Foundations of Mindfulness,” the first teaching is “mindfulness of the body,” which involves becoming familiar and even loving with the body. Body mindfulness anchors you in the here and now.

Your body can reveal so much about your inner world if you pay attention to it. Every tight muscle, aching joints, and anxious breath gives you a clue to the worries and challenges you carry inside of you.

Through body awareness, you have the power to release both the physical and mental distress, as you breathe relaxation and healing into each part of your body.

Scan your bodyfor any aches, pains, or tension. Notice these feelings and how you might be resisting them. What are these aches and pains telling you about any mental distress or behavior changes you need to make?
Take a few deep breaths and focus attentionon your energy level in my body. Do you feel tired, restless, sleepy, or depleted, or are you energized and invigorated?
Sit quietly,take a few deep and cleansing breaths, and perform a relaxation body scan. Starting at your toes, focus attention on each part of your body, breathing relaxation into each area. Move from your toes upward, relaxing every body part until you reach the top of your head.

10. Try a walking meditation.

You don’t have to sit in the lotusposition to meditate．如果哟u’re wondering how topractice mindfulness meditation, a walking meditation is a good place to begin.

Not only does this form of meditation provide the benefits of presence, but it also connects us with our bodies and the earth. It takes the natural process of walking and breaks it down into a sacred and poetic activity.

To practice a walking meditation, follow these steps:

Choose a peaceful and quiet placeto walk where you won’t be disrupted. A trail or path in the woods is perfect.

You can choose to walk 10-15 steps back and forth or walk without turning for a period of time.

Begin with a deep breath and a moment of centeringyourself in your body. Take your first steps and walk slowly with intention.

Notice the solidity of the groundbeneath your feet. Notice the breath. Notice how your body feels.

Breathe in and take two steps.Breathe out and take two more. Repeat this process for several more steps.

Use your senses to noticethe sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of the natural world. Connect what you sense to your own presence in nature.

End your walking meditation as you began it.Notice your steps and your breath. When you stop, ground yourself to the earth by imagining the earth’s energy rising up through your body. Take a final cleansing breath.

11. Learn to let go.

As the Buddha reminds, the root of all suffering is attachment. What we cling to brings us pain because everything in life is temporary. People and situations are constantly changing.

What is real is the present moment and what you are experiencing right now. But you miss this reality when you cling to longing or regret. Can you let go of the past? Can you release your unsettled desires for more?

Letting go is a process. We are wired to cling and strive and hold on to things we no longer need. But true inner peace is found in releasing. You have all you need in this moment.

Begin by accepting that now is enough. There’s nothing to fix about the past — it’s gone. There’s nothing you need in this moment. You’ll know when you need something. Just let go.

There are so many ways to apply mindfulness to your life and practice being present and aware. If you begin with seven activities outlined here, you will have an excellent foundation for deepening your practice and strengthening your skills.

我们希望你把正念way of life —achoicefor embracing every moment as though it’s your last.

It won’t be possible to be mindful 100% of the time, but you can train yourself to be more mindful, more often. In doing so, you’ll enhance your life with more appreciation, compassion,self-awareness, and joy.

11 Ways To Practice Mindfulness Each Day