Have you ever arrived at a destination only to realize that you spaced out and don’t really remember driving there? If you’re like most drivers, this has probably happened to you at some point or another.
There are many things that we do each day on autopilot. While it is okay for us to have these mindless moments, it is important for us to take the time to focus and be mindful, as well.
Mindfulness is the awareness of where we are, what we are doing, and what we are feeling in the present moment. When we are mindful, we are able to notice things around us without any judgment and gain a finer appreciation for the little things we experience each day.
Many times people have a tendency to tune out during the day, missing out on countless opportunities to experience the world around them. This is why practicing mindfulness is important. When you do this, you’ll start to notice how seemingly insignificant things can have a major impact and bring joy and peace to your day, and it will allow you to be more patient and less judgmental when you interact with others.
If this happens frequently to you or your teenager, try to be intentional about practicing mindfulness so that it starts to become a habit.
Here are 10 ways for you to practice mindfulness today:
1. Meditate
Meditation helps you stay in the present moment, even when other thoughts, worries, and anxieties tempt your mind to wander. When you meditate, you are encouraged to gently nudge yourself to be in the present when your focus starts to shift.
It can be hard to keep yourself from worrying about the future or dwelling on the past during the day. By actively focusing on your breathing and body instead of the thoughts that tend to distract you from the present, you will be taking a step toward mindfulness.
Challenge: Using a meditation app or video, try to meditate for 3-5 minutes today.
2. Go for a walk outside
Breathing in the fresh air and admiring the nature around you is a good way to help yourself appreciate and stay mindful of the present. Instead of thinking about everything that you have to get done for the rest of the day, you will be able to spend time being grateful and curious while looking at your current surroundings.
Challenge: Take a walk around the neighborhood with your teen, and try to point out anything interesting that you see.
3. Disconnect
Has your teen ever swiped out of Instagram or TikTok, only to immediately and mindlessly open the same app again on their phone? Have you ever pulled out your phone just to have something to do while waiting in line or riding the bus?
All too often, people use their phones in order to distract themselves from being bored or feeling uncomfortable emotions. Instead of being mindful, they get lost in a sea of posts to scroll through.
It’s important for you and your teen to remember that it is okay to be bored and that every moment does not need to be filled with entertainment. Instead of scrolling through social media on their bus ride home from school, encourage your teen to look out the window and pay attention to what’s around them or to enjoy having a conversation with someone next to them. The next time you’re in line waiting for a morning coffee, take a moment to look around at your surroundings, people watch, and think about what you’re grateful for in your life.
When you are able to sit with the present instead of allowing your phone to distract you or hold your attention, it will allow you to be more mindful.
Challenge: If you have to wait in line today, avoid taking out your phone and pay attention to your surroundings.
4. Experience your emotions
Everyone has moments in their life where they feel big emotions that can be uncomfortable or painful.
People typically don’t like feeling anxious, lonely, sad, afraid, or regretful, so they often choose to suppress these emotions with food,mood-altering substances, and mindless entertainment.
Coping with negative emotions is a part of life. It’s important that we take the time to sit with our hard and complicated emotions, even if we would rather numb these feelings or block them out instead.
The next time you start to feel one of these negative emotions, allow yourself to experience the emotion instead of running away from it. When your teen feels sad, encourage them to journal and process their sadness instead of burying it with ice cream or social media posts.
When you are aware of your emotions and able to experience them fully and without self-judgment, it allows you to become more self-aware.
Challenge: Allow yourself to experience any negative emotions that come up today.
5. Take deep breaths
Sometimes we are in such a rush to take care of all of our errands and responsibilities that we don’t take time to take a breath and smell the roses.
From time to time, take a minute to stop what you are doing and concentrate on taking a few deep, calming breaths. This will help you to slow down and be mindful of how you are feeling as well as everything that is going on in the moment.
Challenge: Set a reminder on your phone to take deep breaths at different intervals of your day.
6. Avoid self-judgment
There are going to be times when you and your teen miss the mark and make mistakes in life. When this happens, your immediate reaction is probably to feel guilt, regret, or shame.
When your teen gets a bad grade on a test, they might be hard on themselves and say something like “I’ll never learn Spanish, I’m not smart enough.”
When you say the wrong thing to your teen and cause an argument, you might judge yourself and your capabilities as a parent.
Part of being mindful is to approach situations and feelings without judgment. When you and your teen start to feel bad about yourselves, remember that these judgmental thoughts are just thoughts. They aren’t true. Through practicing mindfulness you can learn to let go of these judgments and shift your focus from past mistakes to the present.
Challenge: Try to catch yourself when you make negative judgments about yourself today and redirect your thoughts to the present moment.
7. Journal
Journaling is a peaceful activity that can cause you to be more aware of how you are feeling in the present moment and help you pay more attention to what’s going on around you throughout the day.
When you write down interesting things that you noticed during your day in your journal, it will help you learn to look for interesting things and notice more each day.
Journaling about your current feelings and experiences is another way to become more mindful of your thoughts, emotions, and body.
Try buying matching journals for you and your teen or setting aside a specific time during the day for your family to spend time journaling.
Challenge: Today, write down three interesting things you noticed in a journal or on a piece of paper.
8. Relax
When your body is always going, going, going, the stress can make it hard for you to focus on anything other than your to-do list.
Carve some time out of your day to do an activity that you find relaxing so that you can take your mind off of the hustle and bustle of your day and focus on doing a relaxing activity in the present moment.
Challenge: Find 10 minutes today to do something that you enjoy without focusing on anything but the present moment.
9. Try something new
When you try an activity that you’ve never done before, it requires all of your focus and attention. This is a great way to be curious about something new and to learn from your mistakes without judging yourself.
Try testing out a new recipe, learning a new song with your instrument, or participating in a sport at the local recreation center that you’ve never played before. This will help you have fun and live in the present.
Challenge: Find a new recipe for you and your teen to try cooking together this week.
10. Avoid multitasking
Do you tend to watch television while you eat? Does your teen scroll through their phone while they watch Netflix? Do you take calls while you’re driving?
While none of these activities are bad, they can keep you from fully focusing and being mindful of the activity at hand.
Take the time to drive to work without any distractions or phone calls so that you can notice the scenery on your drive and appreciate your commute. Encourage your teen to be mindful when they are eating so they can be present and grateful for the food they are receiving instead of focusing on their phone or the television.
Challenge: Pick one activity to do today and give it your undivided attention.
To improve your ability to be mindful, try choosing a couple (or all ten!) of these challenges to complete today.
If you take small steps toward practicing mindfulness on a regular basis, it will quickly become a part of your daily routine.