In my day to day practice I often use mindfulness-based strategies to help people slow down, identify what’s happening for them and unhook from the unhelpful stuff. A common problem we come across is finding time for people to regularly practice these mindfulness techniques. It was with joy and relief that I read in Dan Harris’ book Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, that when it comes to mindfulness “1 minute counts”. Here, then are my top ten moments when you can squeeze some mindfulness into your busy schedule.
Here are five times you could simply bring your attention to your breath or body:
- While you’re stopped at a red traffic light.
- Waiting in line at the café / supermarket etc.
- For one moment between parking the car and getting out.
- In the elevator or on the escalator.
- That moment after you drop the kids at school before continuing on with your day – does anyone else take a deep breath at this point? I certainly do!
Here are five times you could practice being mindful by bringing your full attention to simply what you are doing:
- Brushing your teeth in the morning and / or at night.
- Making yourself a hot drink.
- Making the bed.
- Washing your hands.
- Preparing fruit and veges.
All you need to do is pick one of these times and commit to using this time or activity to be mindful. Give it a try and see what happens.
Amanda Baird 