Mindfulness is kind of like Hansel from Zoolander: It is so hot right now. Much of the hype is warranted. When practiced correctly and in the right context, it can be a game changer. However, just like every other trend to sweep the wellness industry for the past… however long wellness has been an industry… mindfulness is not the panacea some people claim it to be.
One of the things that gets in the way of cultivating a mindfulness habit? Time.
Some of us simply don’t have the time to practice daily “body scans” and “progressive muscles relaxations.” We’re too busy “folding the laundry” and “picking the kids up from soccer practice.” Which is why I’m proud to introduce, “Mindfulness for people in a hurry.”
No meditation required; just a simple 3-step process to bring a bit more mindfulness into your every day life.
Mindfulness for people in a hurry:
Step 1: Pick one of your senses. Any sense. (Taste, touch, hearing, sight or smell).
Step 2: Think of a way that you already use that sense on a daily basis.
Example: Taste – Eating a meal
Touch- Washing your hands
Hearing- Listening to music in the car
Sight – Looking at the trees outside your office
Smell – Putting on perfume or cologne in the morning.
Step 3: For the next 7 days, whenever you engage in that activity, focus 100% of your attention on that activity, for the entire duration that you do it.
The beauty of this process is, if you pick something that you already do on a regular basis, this practice won’t cost you any time or add any stress to an already stressful day (which is why you wanted to start practicing mindfulness in the first place anyway, right?).
Instead of changing your actions or your schedule, you’re changing your mindset.
For example, let’s say I choose to focus on my sense of touch, and choose to practice whenever I wash my hands. Since I already wash my hands on a regular basis, I’m not adding any additional stress to my calendar or items to my to-do list. Instead, I’m changing how I choose to use the time that’s already allotted to hand-washing. Most of the time, whenever I wash my hands, I’m already thinking about whatever comes next. What am I going to say in that meeting I’m walking in to? What are we going to watch on TV now that we’ve finished doing the dishes?
Starting tomorrow, I’m going to do something different instead. Whenever I wash my hands, I’m going to completely focus on the act of washing my hands. I’m going to pay attention to the feeling of the water against my skin. The touch of the soap dispenser as I press it. The viscosity of the soap in between my fingers.
Whenever I find my mind wandering to something else (which it will do), I just acknowledge it, and then bring the focus of my attention back to my sense of touch the act of washing my hands.
Then, when I’m finished washing my hands, I’m free to let my mind move forward into whatever it wants to.
And that’s all there is to it.
Bonus – Step 4: When the 7 days are up, pick a new sense and repeat, working through each of the senses.
Eric McClerren, LAPC
