Six Micro-Mindfulness Strategies that actually work (and take 5 mins!)

If meditation scares you and the thought of slowing your thoughts down seems impossible, you are not alone! Many people feel mindfulness is out of reach with the everyday chaos we often experience. 

There are many myths about mindfulness, like: that it needs to be done seated in silence. That it’s meant to empty your mind. That it takes 20+ minutes. 

Perhaps those myths have made you a fidgety skeptic of the entire concept. That was me, until I began really understanding what mindfulness is and how simple it is to incorporate it into our daily lives. 

Mindfulness is the act of bringing our awareness to the present moment, focused on one thing at a time. It shifts us from our usual state of ruminating, worrying, or being on autopilot to the “right here, right now”. Automatic actions become intentional ones. 

Here’s my top list of daily mindfulness practices!

1. Pick a Colour of the Day:

Each morning, choose a colour. Notice every time you see that colour during the day. This forces us to actually focus on our surroundings!

The first time I did this, I chose Navy. Before I finished breakfast, I noticed Navy in my curtains, rug, yoga mat, mug, and leggings – most of which I previously overlooked! I guarantee you will notice signs, places, and items you’ve never clocked before. 

2. Furthest to Closest Sounds:

Find the sound furthest away from you. Focus on it for 30 seconds. If your mind starts to wander, gently bring your focus back to the sound, whether it’s a car, chirping bird, rustling wind, etc.

Then find the sound closest to you and focus on it for 30 seconds, whether its the hum of the fridge, the whirring of the heat pump, or even the sound of your own heart beat.

Congratulations, you’ve just spent one minute in the “right here, right now”!

3. Focus on One Instrument in a Song:

Music often plays in the background, while other thoughts and stress tumble around in the forefront of our mind. Try isolating a single instrument as the song plays. By focusing on just the piano or just the electric guitar, we experience the song mindfully and intentionally, drawing us into the present moment. 

4. Count to 3 before Acting:

Before doing a simple task like taking a drink of OJ, brushing your teeth, or  

opening the fridge, pause and count to three. This buffer makes an otherwise 

autopilot action into an intentional one – and that’s mindfulness!

5. Draw a House with Your Non-dominant Hand:

Take a piece of scrap paper and a pen. Draw a house with your non-dominant hand. Your typical auto-pilot scrawling now requires focus and intentionality. 

6. Slow Your Movements Down by 10x

This is a client fav!

Instead of walking normally to your bedroom, take steps that are 10x slower than average. Rather than gulping water, bring the glass to your mouth 10x slower than you normally would. Move your hand 10x slower towards the fruit bowl. You get the idea! By dramatically slowing down our movements, our mind slows down too. 

PS: This is GREAT for winding down for bed. The slow movements prepare our body for rest and slow our mind down too, which is a common source of poor sleep.

These easy-to-implement strategies can be used anywhere, any time, and require very little time commitment! 

Have a question about mindfulness? Write it in a comment below– I read and respond to them all!