Practice Being More Mindful Everyday

Being Mindful means to take care and notice each moment as it comes to you not focusing on the past or the future. Making a real effort to focus on the now.

You can practice Mindfulness by either sitting in a chair or laying down on your back. Have your eyes closed with the inside (palm) of your hands facing up toward the sky. You can play soft relaxing music, or listen to the sounds around you.

1.  Focus on Breathing: In for 4 Out for 6. Try breathing in for 4 seconds focusing on how you feel and the rise and fall of your chest. Then, breathe out for 6 seconds again focusing on what you feel. Try this as long as you are comfortable if you start to have some trouble keeping the pace then stop and continue if it is comfortable.

2.  Focus on your Heartbeat: To start, jump up and down, run in place, do jumping jacks or another safe exercise for one minute. Then, sit down with legs crossed, close your eyes, put your hand on your chest, and focus on only their heartbeat. Notice what you feel. Is your heart beating fast? Can you feel your heartbeat in your hands? Continue for as long as you are comfortable.

3. Focus on the Now: For this exercise you can sit, stand, walk, lay down, or be doing anything you normally would. Focus on what you are doing at this moment. Only focus on that. Feel what you see, hear, touch, taste, or smell. Be aware of everything coming and going. Don’t focus on any one thought that comes in your head. Let them flow by like rain flowing during a storm.

Prompts to help you focus on thinking about one thing to help with practicing Mindfulness (i.e. focusing on the moment).

1.   Imagine you are a stone. Are you smooth? Are you rough? What color are you? Are you more than one color? Do you sparkle? Now imagine being dropped in the ocean. As you sink to the floor what do you see? Is it blue? Green? Can you see? As you hit the bottom you are wrapped in the soft hug of the sand. What is to your right? Left? What plants are near? Are there any animals? Try to draw or write about being a stone.

2.   Imagine walking down a staircase. Feel the steps against your feet. Is the staircase straight or spiral? What color is the staircase? What room are you in? Is there a window? What do you see? What are you wearing? Are there any animals next to you? Pets? Try to draw or write about walking down the staircase.

3. Think of your own! Possible prompts to think about: Imagine you are a Superhero, Animal, Planet, Object in your house, Plant, Picture, Video Game, Food, or other and try to draw or write about your idea.