Easy Ways to Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness, as defined by Mayo Clinic, is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.

Could mindfulness help improve your daily life and work?

As it turns out, yes. And there are quite a few ways it works its magic. Mayo Clinic cites mindful meditation in particular as being effective for various conditions, including stress, anxiety, pain, depression, insomnia, and high blood pressure (hypertension).

Pondering how to fit mindfulness into your routine or wondering what you might need to implement a mindfulness practice? What's great about mindfulness is that it can be practiced anytime—anywhere.

There are several ways to implement mindfulness into your daily life, for a better night's rest and an overall less stressful world:

• Use guided meditation techniques found online, through podcasts, in books or via local classes.
• Take 10 minutes to do some yoga or stretching, in the morning when waking up and in the evening before bed.
• Once a day, do a head-to-toe body scan and release any tension you're holding in different parts of your body.
• Go on a walk and actively notice the sights, smells, and sounds around you.

More ideas for practicing mindfulness, including remembering the Four T's and approaching situations with curiosity, are outlined in this article from Psychology Today.

Though it may at first seem difficult to slow down and practice mindfulness and meditation, it gets easier with practice. You're likely to notice a difference by sticking with it!

Consider trying these apps:

• Calm
• Headspace
• Stop, Breathe & Think
• Relax Melodies
• Insight Timer

Written by Sarah Suydam, Staff Writer for Groups Today.