Midday Mindfulness: Staying Present in the Hustle and Bustle
Weaving Mindfulness into the Middle of Your Day
In one of my recent articles, "Rise and Shine: Cultivating Mindfulness in Your Morning Routine," I discussed ways to incorporate mindfulness into the start of your day. Now, let’s explore how to bring mindfulness into the middle of our day, ensuring that we stay grounded and present amidst the busyness of our professional and personal lives.
Mindful Eating
One powerful way to integrate mindfulness into your day is through mindful eating. Rather than skipping lunch to get more done, or multitasking while you eat, choose to fully engage in the experience of simply eating. Set aside your devices, such as the laptop, iPad and phone (yes, you read that right...even disconnecting from the phone, too!), and choose to actually show up for your meal, rather than eating on autopilot. You can engage all of your senses - noticing the colors, textures, and aromas of your food. Pay attention to how it feels to chew and swallow. This practice can not only enhance your enjoyment of the meal, but can also promote better digestion, more joy and a sense of calm.
Mindful Walking
Another opportunity for mindfulness is mindful walking. Give yourself permission to step away from your work and go on a mindful walk, even if it is for just ten or fifteen minutes. Getting outdoors and connecting with nature as you rest attention on the body can be incredibly grounding. Often, we walk to get from one place to another, but are totally unaware that we are even walking and take for granted the miraculous capabilities of our bodies. With mindful walking, we choose to rest attention on the sensations within the body – the feeling of your feet touching the ground, the movement of your muscles, and the rhythm of your breath. This practice can be a refreshing break, helping to clear your mind and re-energize your body.
Mindfulness in Everyday Tasks
Even mundane tasks that we do over and over again can become opportunities for mindfulness. For instance, when answering standard interrogatories, you may default to a "copy and paste" approach for efficiency-purposes. While this may be appropriate in some cases, repeatedly doing so can lead to stale and uncreative work. Instead, approach each task with what is known in mindfulness as a "beginner's mind," engaging in the experience with a fresh set of eyes, as if you were doing something for the very first time. If boredom or frustration arises and attention drifts off, simply acknowledge it with kindness and nonjudgment and bring your attention back to the task at hand. The practice of gently bringing attention back again and again is what strengthens our ability to be present and can enhance productivity and creativity.
Embracing Mindfulness
By weaving mindfulness into the middle of your day, you can maintain a sense of balance and presence. Whether it’s through mindful eating, walking, or engaging in everyday tasks with full attention, these practices can help you stay grounded and connected. Remember, mindfulness is not about forcing ourselves to feel a particular way or achieving a perfect state of calm. Rather, it is about being present and fully experiencing each moment as it comes.
Let's make mindfulness a part of our daily routine, ensuring we stay centered and resilient in the face of life's demands.
If you would like to practice a formal meditation with me, I welcome you to join me via Zoom tomorrow, Thursday, June 20, 2024 at 4pm (ET) for a 15-minute guided mindfulness meditation.
Meeting ID: 820 3736 4749; Passcode: 792097