How to Start a Mindfulness Practice (Even if You’re Always Busy)

Mindfulness is the simple yet powerful practice of being fully present in the moment. It’s a skill that strengthens with practice and offers numerous benefits, from reducing stress to improving focus and overall well-being. It is the state of being when your mind is fully engaged in the task at hand and can actually be seen as a skill. And since mindfulness is a skill it can be improved or more easily attained with practice.

It is painfully easy to make excuses not to practice mindfulness with the claim “I don’t have time” being one of the most common. However practicing mindfulness doesn’t have to be time-consuming or all that complicated. All it takes is a few minutes a day of mindful breathing to set your intention. 

Start Small: One Minute is Enough

An easy way to start practicing mindfulness today is to start with one minute of mindful breathing. One minute, that’s it. The key here is not duration but consistency. One minute every day will add up as your mind begins to look forward to your minute of centeredness and focus.

Use Everyday Moments as Triggers

You can also use everyday moments to guide you into your mindfulness practice. For instance, nobody is too busy to eat, so you can use your meal times as a chance to practice mindful eating. As you eat, pay attention to the taste, texture and smell of your food, separately and together. Notice what chemical signals get set off as you start to isolate these sensual characteristics of your food. Notice how each bite is different and allow yourself to enjoy the meal.

Another mindful activity to help get you started on your mindfulness journey is mindful walking. Really feeling each step and sensations that go along with them. Feeling the sensations of movement is also a way to ground us, connect us to the earth, the root of all life. As you’re walking, try incorporating mindful listening into your walk. Let the sounds surrounding you and the meditative movement of your body put your mind at ease, allowing you to be more centered and present.

Try a Simple Breathing Exercise Before Starting Your Day

A box breathing technique is a perfect way to instantly calm yourself down when the anxiety of the day to come starts to bubble up. The 4-7-8 technique involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding your breath for 7 seconds, and then exhaling for 8 seconds. You can also incorporate this technique into a daily morning or bedtime routine to help start your new mindfulness habit.

Let Go of Perfection

Remember, it's okay to make mistakes and not be perfect. It’s okay to have lots of thoughts and feel scattered sometimes. Mindfulness is not about “clearing your mind” but observing thoughts without judgement. And as we observe these thoughts objectively, we begin to lift judgement off ourselves as well. Always remember that progress is more important than perfection.

Practicing mindfulness is an easy and simple way to vastly improve your well-being and quality of life. It takes as little as one minute to get started and see improved awareness day-to-day, and it's important to be consistent with your practice in order to yield the most benefits. I challenge you to try just one mindful technique today. Notice how it makes you feel, and share your experience in the comments!