We’re devoting the whole month of February to mindfulness and exploring the different mindful practices and behaviours that you can introduce to your everyday life.

Mindfulness explores the art of living in the present and can be achieved through a number of techniques. Mindful practices encourage awareness, observation and acceptance.

Mindfulness can alleviate stress, anxiety and pressure when practised correctly. Truthfully, any activity can be classed as a mindful practice, but here’s some things you can include in your everyday routine which will help you bring mindfulness into your day to day life.

Make your bed mindfully

What can sometimes seem like a chore in the morning, can turn into a relaxing, mindful activity. Whilst you make your bed, focus on your movements and the sensations that come with it. Create a routine of movements you can practice again and again for an expressive start to your day.

Try a tea ritual 

Now, we’re not just saying this because we sell tea. Tea has historically played a role in ceremony and ritual, originating back to the ancient Chinese dynasty. Many of these ceremonies represent connecting to reality. The tea making and drinking process is a perfect opportunity to practise mindfulness. Slowing the process down and observing the routine can be a great way to achieve a mindful state. This can also be an effective way to set intentions. Intention setting plays an important role in yoga and mindfulness. Use the tea making process to help with intention setting- pour your intention and drink the tea to accept it into your day.

Keep a senses diary

Observing and bringing awareness to your senses can be an effective mindfulness technique. Everyday, take a moment to describe what you can hear, see, smell, touch and taste. Try to be really specific when describing your senses. Bringing attention to your senses will give you awareness of the present.

Try to find newness in the everyday

As much as we advocate for routine as a beneficial tool for health and wellness, it can be easy for us to get lost in the habitual processes of everyday life. When we operate on auto pilot, our minds take the opportunity to overthink, worry and stress. Exploring something new everyday makes it easier to observe and appreciate. Explore a new street on a walk, eat a food you’ve never tried before or read a new book. 

Be creative 

Believe it or not, you don’t need to be Picasso to enjoy a creative activity. Creative hobbies and activities are a great way to bring awareness to the present. Drawing an object of still life encourages you to focus specifically on the shapes and light of an object in front of you. You can feel the texture of the paper, the sounds of the medium and the movement of your hands. Mindful interactions with art are extremely therapeutic and beneficial to your wellbeing. 

Including just one of these mindful practices in your everyday life can make a real difference. Give mindfulness a go.