How Mindfulness Can Be Incorporated into the Busiest of Lives

By Liz Vickers

Mindfulness? How can one be mindful in this day and age? Juggling children, demanding careers, home and family obligations, and so many other tasks all day, every day – who has time to slow down?

I have learned you don’t have to! Mindfulness is putting open attention on the present. Observing your thoughts and feelings “from a distance” without judging them. It does mean “living in the moment” in some sense, but it really is just being focused and mindful on the task or thought at hand.

When I first heard the term, I equated it to meditation and needing to find time to breathe and clear my head (who has time for that!), but being mindful doesn’t need to take up time, it can be done all the time throughout your busy day.

By paying more attention to your thoughts, actions, and surroundings, and just being more aware, you are practicing mindfulness. Here are some quick, simple ways to become more mindful in our everyday lives:

1. Focus on your breath and breathing for just one minute, observe something in your immediate surroundings (like a flower or person) for just that minute and try to not focus on anything else. (Hey, even I can find one minute!)

2. Be aware and appreciate simple, everyday tasks. What will this task lead to in the bigger picture or what does having to do this task stem from? (Doing the dishes means I just had a great meal with my family.)

3. Focus on positive (or negative feelings) and just be aware of them. Why do you feel this way and what actions will you do/not do because of these feelings? We’ve all been mad at times and perhaps said something we later regretted. It’s amazing how taking a moment to think about your feelings will allow you to better tailor your response.

4. Just listen. Really listen when someone is talking to you. It’s amazing how much you’ll find out and how much better your relationship with that person will be. Also, listen to all the sounds around you. It is a very calming experience to try and hear all the underlying noises, and it really does clear your head.

There are so many ways to be mindful in your everyday life. How can you be mindful at work, while doing mundane tasks, or when your kids are acting up? Why not try and live in that moment when your mind is racing and focus on why you are doing what you are doing, why you are feeling what you are feeling, what it will lead to, and what is your desired outcome. Learning to be more aware of yourself, your feelings, and your surroundings will help you be more productive, more productive, and feel more at peace. I know it has helped me!

“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.” – Carl Jung

Liz Vickers is Head of Inside Sales for ClearVision Optical. To view her LinkedIn profile, click here: www.linkedin.com/in/liz-vickers-9282042/