By: Maria Burns

Ask yourself if you have taken the time to wind down and become aware of your surroundings. Have you noticed anything new about your work environment, co-workers, or self lately? When was the last time you focused on your breathing? 

Suppose the answer is no to any or all these questions; that is okay. We sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day life we are constantly living we forget to slow down and enjoy the present moment. Instead, we must be intentional with our focus and practice mindfulness. According to the Oxford dictionary, mindfulness is “the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.” Mindfulness can be as simple as taking a few seconds to look around you to notice all the slight movements of people near you. However, it is also learning to be more aware of your thoughts and emotions. 

Often, we have this constant stream of thought and ideas racing throughout our heads during the day, but how well do we pay attention to those thoughts? It is more than likely we let them come across and then fade away. The quick fade away also applies to our emotions, especially negative ones. We currently live in a world full of people trying their very best to remain positive or to have “positive vibes only.” We are hurting ourselves if we only allow our minds to think in just a positive way. Negative emotions are present, needed, and help us continue to grow and become better versions of ourselves. These emotions and thoughts drive our actions and reactions to others’ behavior and events happening within our lives. Below are four ways you can begin your practice with mindfulness. 

1. Focus on Breath

Meditating is a great way to focus on your breath. A great technique is called square breathing. According to Healthline, square breathing is “a technique used when taking slow, deep breaths. It can heighten performance and concentration while also being a powerful stress reliever.” Remember that your deep breaths will likely vary from someone else, and that is perfectly okay. Please start and continue at a comfortable pace to ensure you are not pushing yourself too far.

2. Plan Your Day

One way to ensure you are present throughout your day is to plan your day. An example of planning your day is to utilize the method of time blocking. Time blocking is where you take your day and divide it into smaller sections to improve your focus and productivity. You can set aside a specific amount of time to complete a task or set a particular day to which you wish to check off your to-dos for the week. However, you can also work in the 50/10 mindset, working continuously for fifty minutes of the hour and utilizing the last ten minutes to get up, walk around, and enjoy your surroundings.

3. Practice Yoga

Practicing yoga is another great way to slow down and take the time to focus on your breath as well as your muscles and body movement. If you are unsure how to implement yoga into your routine, begin by adding it to your daily routine. For instance, take a small 5–10-minute break to do some light stretching and moving. If you already have a workout routine, then you could add it to your practice. It is essential to cool down and stretch those muscles after a workout.

4. Download Helpful Apps

We also understand you may want to have a reminder to practice mindfulness, so downloading an app may be extremely helpful for some people. A few options include Headspace when you want to focus on breathing or begin meditating and would like assistance. Another great app is Insight Timer. This is a great tool to use if you need a meditation timer or want guided meditation.*

Overall, practicing mindfulness is a great way to learn to become less reactive to situations. Also, it will help your ability to think about your actions and words more thoroughly and improve your capability to become more in tune with your emotions and thoughts. We hope that at least one if not all suggestions are a great and easy start for you to learn more about mindfulness and incorporate it into your life if you wish. 

*Krucial Rapid Response is not affiliated, endorsed, or sponsored by the apps listed above.