Mindfulness exercises you can do without (over)thinking

Learning how to practice mindfulness in daily life is as simple (and as difficult!) as reminding yourself to bring your awareness back to the “now”. Yet, when you’re stressed or overwhelmed, it’s easy to think of mindfulness as another thing on your to-do list.

Research and personal experience has shown that pausing and gently bringing your awareness back to the present can give your brain a breather. Over time, the benefits range from reduction of stress, anxiety or symptoms of depression to improved cognitive ability, concentration, and increased sense of wellbeing, mental health, and self awareness. What’s not to love!? Read on for some simple mindfulness exercises you can use to support your daily practice.

Going from a full mind to being mindful takes practice

Just like the name implies, the process of letting go of our thoughts and returning to our experiences of the present is something that takes practice. So, if your mind wanders during the following meditation and mindfulness exercises, this is normal. The busy mind is used to wandering and telling itself stories about the past, present and future. Sometimes, these stories aren’t healthy or positive.

If this happens to you, it might cause you to feel irritated at your inability to focus on the present. Instead of chastising yourself, approach your practice with self-compassion and gently bring your attention back without self-criticism. 

After all, you are not your thoughts. Over time these small acts of mindfulness will grow to support the development of self-awareness, compassion and acceptance. So let’s learn how to practice mindfulness in your everyday life.

Learn more about mindfulness and the benefits.

5 daily mindfulness exercises to support your wellbeing

These daily meditation and mindfulness exercises can be used interchangeably wherever you happen to be. You don’t need to be sitting down cross legged on a cushion in a quiet room to start (although you can if you wish).

1. Body scan meditation

This exercise is best done when you’re standing, lying or sitting still; at your desk, sitting on a chair in a cafe, standing in line, lying in bed or wherever you happen to be. 

First, pull your attention in to notice what is happening in your body. The simplest way is to start from your toes and work your way up to your head (or vice versa). But you can also just notice anywhere in your body where your attention is drawn to first, and see if you can grow the attention to include more. If you start with your shoulder can you feel down your arm? Can you include your upper body, and then your head?  

Tense and relax each body part. Toes, foot, ankle, calf, knee, thigh… and so on. Notice the sensations in and around you, such as the hard floor beneath your feet, any tightness in your back, your posture or even the breeze moving the hair on your arms. 

Once you’ve grown your attention to include your whole body can you leave it there? If a thought pops in, just let it pass, and return your attention back to your physical being. If you notice pains or aches, can you accept them without trying to make them go away? If you feel strong sensations in your stomach or chest, can you let them flow without assigning them a story? Without trying to make the feelings stop – without trying to DO something about it?

Can you grow your ability to let your attention rest in your body once you wake up to the discomfort, energy, and aliveness that is always there? This is truly the practice, not to focus away from what is going on inside of us, but to actually start to see, and accept ourselves and our body for who we truly are in this exact moment. Not changing, not doing, but opening what really is.

Benefits: This practice allows you to focus on the physical experience of being in the moment. It increases self-awareness of how you’re inhabiting the world, as well as any feelings and thoughts associated with your body, encouraging you to let go of the thoughts and be able to tolerate the feelings of discomfort that may arise when we truly wake up to what is.

2. Mindful seeing

Take a moment to look at the world around you. Choose an object from nature to study closely. It might be a flower or weed, an insect, bird, leaf, or a cloud in the sky. Notice its movements, colors, and shape. Observe your thoughts with curiosity as they arise, and let them go as you relax into your visual exploration. 

Allow yourself to see this part of nature as if for the first time. Admire its beauty, purpose and the interconnectedness to the world around it. This is a wonderful exercise that can be done at any time, whether you’re in a carpark, looking out a window from the doctor’s office, or taking your dog on a stroll in the park. 

Can you use this as an opening to return back to what you are also experiencing on the inside, gently allowing yourself to be with both what is on the outside and slowly growing your attention back to what is happening in your body? 

Or, if your attention seems to sink deep down inside, can you use this as an invitation to move your attention up and out to the world around you?

Benefits: Unlocking the power of mindful seeing helps you see the world with a child’s mind, full of wonder and awe. It connects you with nature and beauty of everyday life by creating opportunities for you to notice the world around you, showing you a different perspective that you might miss if you were rushing around from one task or destination to the next. It helps you open up to the possibility that there is more than one way of looking at things, and allows your subconscious perspectives space to come up to the surface.

 3. Mindful cooking and eating

When life gets busy we often rush meals, or multi-task eating with work, parenting or caring duties. Cooking (and sometimes eating!) becomes a chore we must endure. But there is so much joy in experiencing the rich culinary delights, smells and flavours – especially when sharing these with friends and family.

The cooking process provides lots of opportunities to use our senses as an anchor to the present moment. Select each ingredient with care, noticing the feel of the fresh fruit or vegetables as your chop and prepare them. Close your eyes and listen to the sizzling food as it cooks in the pan. Breathe in the aromatic spices. 

Prepare the table, letting your thoughts flow through you without opinion. Wait to eat until everyone is seated, then take your time and chew each bite slowly, savoring the flavors. Notice the textures, the spices. Is your food soft and delectable or crunchy and fresh? 

If you have a tendency to rush, try eating with your non-dominant hand. Remove distractions like your phone or television so you can focus on your meal. 

Notice what comes up if you have trouble slowing down, and your mind begins to resist. What stories are there that cause us to separate from the present moment?

Benefits: Eating mindfully allows us to find joy in our daily routines and be grateful for the opportunity to share it with loved ones. Even if you’re eating on the go, mindful eating exercises can increase your delight in culinary pleasures through awareness. 

4. Mindful creativity

Mindful creativity exercises can come in many shapes and forms. This first exercise is perfect if you’re at home, work or even on the train and need a mindful moment. Grab a pen and paper and begin making lines and patterns without lifting your pen from the page. Bring your attention to the lines your pen is making without planning or thinking ahead. If you notice your thoughts begin to intrude, let them go. Continue until your page is full and discard the end result. This will help you avoid overthinking your drawing.

Alternatively, you can choose your art or craft of choice, set a 20 minute timer and free create until the timer goes off. During that time, notice the movements of your hands, the sensations beneath your fingers and the surprising color-combinations that result from this work. Again, try not to plan ahead and instead relish the act of creativity.

Notice how you feel afterwards. What thoughts popped up in the process? What ideas were you attaching to that tried to draw you away from what was in front of you?

Learn how I use mindful photography in my practice. 

Benefits: As humans we are innately creative, and we apply this creativity in different ways for different purposes and at different times. Some people apply creativity to artistic projects, such as sketching or photography. Others apply it to the ways in which they solve problems, create plans or design strategies. But creativity is stunted by overthinking! Mindful creative exercises can help you block out the noise if you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious or in a creative slump. They can give you the space your brain needs to help us see something more clearly, or from a new perspective. 

Our conscious thinking minds are just one part of what makes up who we are, and by tapping into other forms of engaging with the world around us, we grow our ability to drop the thought and connect.

5. Five senses exercise

When our brains are full we lose the capacity for self awareness, which disconnects us from the present and can cause us more suffering. The five senses exercise draws our attention to what we are experiencing in the moment. 

Start by taking in everything around you and noticing all the details. Where are you? Is it dark or bright? Are you alone or among lots of people? Indoors or outdoors? Name five specific things you can see, and include as much detail as possible such as the color, shape and type. You might say, I see a tall man with a red hat eating a sandwich at the park.

Next, notice all the sensations you can feel in that moment and name four things you can feel. Be specific. Are you being rocked by the rhythm of the train? How do your clothes feel? Is the ground hard or soft beneath your feet? Are your shoulders tense? Try to notice these things without judgement. 

Listen intently to the world around you. What can you hear? Rain? Traffic? Chatter? Birdsong? Notice the pitch and rhythm to the sounds. Is it loud or soft? Soothing or jarring? Name three sounds you can hear while letting any intrusive thoughts go.

Now let’s notice any scents you can detect at that moment. Do you recognise them? Are they sweet, sour, rancid or delicious? Name two things you can smell.

Lastly, bring your attention inward to name one thing you can taste. Avoid trying to draw conclusions and just focus on the sensation.  

Benefits: The five senses exercise is a great grounding technique often used to reduce anxiety and stress by bringing your awareness back to your internal and external experiences of the present. We can use this as an intentional way to help gently bring our awareness back to the moment, without too much resistance from the mind.

How to cultivate mindfulness and live in the moment

As you can see, you have everything you need in each and every moment to be mindful and over time you’ll reap the benefits of your practice. If you struggle with intrusive thoughts when you begin, remember to let them go and keep practicing. We don’t have to stop the thoughts, but allow them to move through. With practice we grow our knowing of how to quickly return back to the present.

It will take time, but I promise you it’s worth it. 

Everyone is different and some techniques might be more effective than others, so experiment with different exercises and don’t forget to enjoy your practice!

Over to you

Have you tried these mindfulness exercises before? Let me know in the comments below.