It’s a busy world. Nearly everyone is on their phones, even at home, you included. Your attention can swing back and forth from your daily concerns to your phone. Unfortunately, you can become distracted and restless just thinking about these things.
Mindfulness can help you become aware of what’s happening around you. But that’s not all. According to Psych Central, mindfulness has many benefits. It can enhance your sleep, maintain your weight, lower your stress and anxiety levels, minimize the risk of depression and emotional moments, increase your attention span, manage chronic conditions, and even lessen the possibility of cognitive decline.
Fortunately, you can make mindfulness part of your everyday life. Here are several tips you can do to practice and incorporate mindfulness every day at home.
Take Mindful Breaks Throughout the Day
It can be difficult to stay mindful when you move from one activity to the next throughout the day. Mindfulness can help you refocus. Take time out from every activity.
Stop, and maybe sit, and ask yourself how you’re feeling, whether it’s negative or positive. Acknowledge it and prevent yourself from thinking about other things. Focus your full attention on the moment. Take notice of what you’re hearing, touching, seeing, or feeling with your body. Do this for a minute or two instead of thinking about what you’re doing.
Don’t Do Everything All at Once
When you’re doing chores at home, focus on one chore and then move on to the next. Don’t do everything at once. This can make you stressed out, and when the feeling becomes overwhelming, you can end up doing everything and not finishing anything.
Focus your attention on what you’re currently doing. If you do too many things at once, you can also do them haphazardly.
Put Down Your Phone
Technology has made provided humans with tools to make life easier. However, it also has made people irritable, disconnected, and distracted.
Schedule a few minutes or hours per day to put down your phone and instead be at the moment. Talk to people in your home, cook a meal, do a chore or anything that can help you focus where you are, who you’re with, what you’re seeing, and what you’re feeling.
Create a Peaceful Place at Home
Designate a space in your house where you can practice mindfulness meditation exercises. It can be on floor space in your bedroom or a patio with outdoor sun shades. Anywhere that can allow you to be quiet for a while. Just make sure your space is conducive to meditating.
Keep Your Home Clean
If there are too many clutters in your home, your mind can get distracted. You will not be able to focus on what you’re doing or feeling. You will not be able to practice mindfulness. Take away everything that causes distractions in your home.
Practice Mindful Eating
Mindful eating involves being aware of what you’re eating. It’s a great way to incorporate healthy eating habits at home, which is one reason why mindfulness can make you healthy.
When you eat, don’t focus on the quantity of your food at first. That will come at a later time when mindfulness becomes a daily part of your life. For now, notice the texture, tastes, and smell of your food. Chew your food and sip your drink slowly. Savor every moment of your food.
Meditate
According to Mayo Clinic, there are three structured mindfulness exercises that anybody can do at home.
You can do a walking meditation. Mayo Clinic suggests allotting 10 to 20 feet of space where you can quietly walk back and forth slowly. Practice breathing exercises as you do. Focus on what you’re experiencing and feeling as you walk.
You can also do a body scan meditation. According to Mayo Clinic, you can do this while lying on the floor on your back. Extend your legs and keep your arms to your sides. Breathe slowly and take in all your feelings and sensations. Be aware of what’s happening around you and your entire body.
Mayo Clinic also suggested taking a sitting meditation. Sit comfortably in any position you like. Keep your back straight with your hands on your lap. Breathe slowly and focus on this for the entire meditation. If you get distracted with your feelings, sensations, or surroundings, focus back on your breathing.
Set a schedule when you can do your meditation at home. Mayo Clinic further suggested doing this for six months until it becomes second nature to you. Only then can you seamlessly apply it to your daily life.
Practice Mindfulness Every Day
You will get easily distracted at first. But if you practice mindfulness every day and set a schedule for meditation, you can easily do it next time. Don’t worry; these tips will help you get through it.