Mindful moments are quick, easy things that you can do during the day to help bring your attention back to the here and now and back to yourself. And it can actually help you to enjoy the little things that you're doing throughout your day a little bit more. I'm going to talk you through a body scan, mindful eating and mindful walking.
Body Scan
A body scan is a really quick and easy way to reconnect with yourself during the day; to notice what's going on with your body and to expel some thoughts for a few minutes. So, just sit comfortably, close your eyes and start to bring your attention to your body.
Start with your toes and then just scan up through your body. So toes, into your feet, into your legs, into your hips, your stomach, your chest, into your shoulders, down your arms, into your hands and your fingers and then up through your neck and into your head. You can do it at whatever pace you like but it should take you a good few minutes at least. You are trying to notice what's going on at each stage. So you should be noticing any tingles, any aches, any pains, any itchiness, any emotions which might be getting stored, absolutely anything that's going on in your body. You might notice there's tension in your shoulders or you've got a slight headache. And the point of this scan is to accept whatever is happening. So if you notice an itch, try not to scratch it, if you notice that your arm is back in a bit of an uncomfortable position, just try to accept it and don't move it. The idea here is that we're teaching ourselves that our minds can find something difficult and they can move past it without us actually having to sort it out. So that our thoughts are transient; they're not permanent.
Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is about enjoying your food a bit more! Quite often we'll find that we're eating a snack and we might be walking at the same time or scrolling and so we're not actually really tasting it, which is a real shame! So mindful eating is about focusing your attention on what it is that you're eating.
Start eating something and as you're eating it, close your eyes and focus your attention solely on that thing. Notice what temperature it is, what texture it is, what it tastes like, the intensity of the flavour. Focus on the food itself. And then move to also noticing what it is like for you to eat it, your fullness level and the sensation of what it's like to eat it.
Mindful Walking
Mindful walking is about noticing yourself while you're walking. Don't close your eyes for this one! Just walk along normally and notice what it is like to be walking. What it's like putting one foot in front of the other. How do your shoes feel? How does the floor feel? Is it bumpy? Is it smooth? Are your shoes rubbing? Are they comfortable? Do you feel like you want to speed up or slow down? What's happening to your heart rate, your breathing rate? Are you starting to sweat at all? Really notice what it's like to be walking. We often don't think about ourselves when we walk, we're looking around and being distracted. Mindful walking is about noticing what it is like for you to be walking. Check in with yourself and your body.
So, they are just three quick and easy ways for you to have mindful moments each day! Enjoy!