I have a confession to make…
Not that long ago, I thought mindfulness was just a bunch of “woo-woo crap” that was reserved for yogi’s and hippies. So I resisted the temptation to look into or participate in any mindfulness.
Growing up I was never really taught about the power of the mind and how much impact it can have over your energy, mood and overall well being.
The thought of sitting still and meditating felt daunting and even frustrating. It still kinda does. And no one in my circle did it or talked about it, we all just got on with it.
But as I started to develop a deeper interest in self improvement, I kept hearing and reading about this thing called “mindfulness” - despite rolling my eyes every time there was a mere mention of it.
Do you know what I found out about mindfulness that really surprised me, though?
It doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming. In fact, it's possible to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine in as little as one minute.
Yes, you read that right. Just one minute.
As someone who struggles with a busy mind, I thought “fuck it, I may as well give it a go. If it only takes up one minute of my day, what’s the harm?”
So I wanted to share with you four simple mindfulness practices that are perfect for people who don't practise mindfulness.
These practices are simple, practical, and can be done almost anywhere, at any time. Whether you're stuck in traffic, waiting in a queue at the supermarket, or taking a shower, these practices will help you find calm amongst the chaos of your daily life.
But first, let’s be real. I understand it can be frustrating to constantly hear about mindfulness, especially when you feel like you're too busy or stressed to even think about it.
Trust me, these practices are different. They're not about adding more to your to-do list or making you feel like you're doing something wrong. They're about finding peace and stillness within yourself, in your own time.
Let's discover how these simple mindfulness practices can transform your life, one short minute at a time.
Practice 1 – One-Minute Simple Mindful Breathing Exercise
Practice 2 – Five Finger Breathing
Practice 3 – The Body Scan Meditation
Practice 4 – Use Guided Breathing Exercises on an App or YouTube
Practice 1 – One-Minute Simple Mindful Breathing Exercise
At its core, mindfulness means paying attention to the here and now.
A 1-minute mindfulness exercise is an excellent opportunity to dip your toe in the mindfulness waters and practice pausing and resetting your mind and body. It can also be your gateway to a regular mindfulness practice.
The most common, and most powerful, mindfulness practices are all centred around breathing exercises, and this one is no different. For this practice you don’t need anything apart from yourself.
Once you get used to this, you’ll feel your busy mind start to slow down and you’ll be able to identify and push away all those intrusive thoughts.
Here’s how one-minute mindful breathing works:
1- Get Comfy – Sit (or lie) in a comfortable position, and either close your eyes or relax your eyelids and look ahead without focusing on anything.
2- Breath Deliberately – Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, as if you were blowing out of a straw. Make each inhale and exhale around 5 seconds each.
3- Focus specifically on, and visualise if you can, the air passing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
4- Now check in with your surroundings. Notice where your body touches the ground or the chair.
5- If you feel your mind wandering, focus back on the flow of your breath.
6- Repeat for one-minute.
That’s it. You can use this at any time of the day or any time you need to recharge, calm your circuits or take a moment to yourself.
Top tip - if you don’t like the silence, try listening to a “calm” or “focus” playlist on spotify.
Practice 2 – Five Finger Breathing
This is one of my favourites and I got this from Dr Jud Brewer, the Director of Research and Innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Centre.
I find this the most effective when my brain is working overtime and my thoughts are racing. I literally used this technique this week, just 1 minute before a client presentation where I couldn’t stop my mind wandering.
The reason this is so effective is because the five finger breathing technique utilises multiple senses at once. You’ll have to look, feel, and concentrate on your breath at the same time. It might sound complex now, but it’s really not.
This can truly help clear your mind, at least temporarily, and focus solely on the exercise at hand because it requires a tiny bit more concentration.
Sometimes breath only practices aren’t as effective at reducing stress because your mind still has room to wander and worry can sneak in.
So how do you do the Five Finger breathing exercise?
1 – Place the index finger of one hand on the outside of the bottom of your pinky on the other hand.
2 – While breathing in and out like we learnt in Practice 1, slowly move your index finger up the outside of your pinky, then down the other side. Trace your index finger with your eyes as it moves.
3 - Breathe in while tracing up your finger, and breathe out as you trace down the other side, watching your index finger the whole time.
Keep going until you’ve completed each finger, then go back again if you feel you need more time.
Don’t worry if some of your anxiety creeps back in after the exercise, by this stage you should've calmed down enough to get your thoughts in order and be able to think more clearly.
If you’re still stuck, watch along as Dr Brewer gives a demo here – his demo starts from 3:31
Practice 3 – The Body Scan Meditation
This mindfulness practice is a bit more complex, but if you can get your head around the five finger breathing, you can do this too.
This practice involves sitting or lying down comfortably and bringing your attention to each part of your body - starting from your head and moving down to your toes.
This is a great way to release tension and stress from your body, especially if you spend hours sitting or standing. It’s also a powerful tool to help you fall asleep faster and get a more restful night's sleep.
With regular practice, you'll notice a greater sense of ease and comfort in your body, and an increased ability to manage stress and anxiety. So, the next time you're feeling tense or overwhelmed, take a few minutes to try the body scan meditation and see how it can help you find peace and relaxation.
While it might feel a bit weird at first, go into this with an open mind and you’ll notice how much control you have over your mind and body.
So how does it work? Well, once again, it all starts with getting comfy:
1- Get Comfy – Lie (or sit) down in a comfortable position, and either close your eyes or relax your eyelids and look ahead without focusing on anything.
2- Breath Deliberately – Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, as if you were blowing out of a straw. Make each inhale and exhale around 5 seconds each.
3- Once you’ve got your breath into a rhythm, focus on the very top of your head. Feel it tingle a little bit as you think about it.
4- Slowly move your focus down your face. Take notice of any tension. Check where your tongue is (when I’m stressed, it’s usually stuck firmly to the roof of my mouth) and relax it. Then move down to your neck and shoulders. Relaxing as you go.
5- As you focus on each body part, you'll become more aware of any sensations, tension, or discomfort you may be feeling. Pay attention to your body and start to recognise where you hold tension. This practice is a good indicator of where to focus when you need to release stress.
6- When you’ve finished your body scan at your toes, open your eyes and stretch out your body – or repeat from your toes up.
Top tip - I personally like to do this while listening to instrumental music from a “focus” or “calm” playlist (music with lyrics tends to distract me) as it makes it feel a bit less awkward than trying to do this in silence.
Practice 4 – Use Guided Breathing Exercises on an App or YouTube
Now, on to the final practice.
With everything so easily accessible on the Internet, and as someone new to mindfulness practices, how about you make it super easy for yourself and follow along with a guided breathing exercise on an app or YouTube.
Guided meditations are perfect for beginners who may struggle to focus or need additional guidance during their practice.
There are a variety of apps and YouTube channels available that offer various guided meditations - some are even tailored to specific needs, such as stress relief, self-compassion, or gratitude.
Using guided meditation has helped me establish a regular mindfulness practice and keeps me accountable. And they can for you too!
They’re also an extremely helpful tool when first starting out and want to explore different meditation techniques and find what works best for you.
Bear in mind, not all of these practices are going to work for you, so it might take a bit of trial and error but keep at it. Most apps and YouTube channels offer a variety of meditation lengths, so you can find a practice that fits your schedule and works specifically for you.
Start small and be consistent. You’ll soon find a renewed sense of relaxation and awareness and may experience an improved mood and sense of well-being.
Who doesn’t want that?!
Just Give It a Go
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed out in today's fast-paced world, and many of us struggle to find a way to cope.
I definitely still get overwhelmed and stressed. But by practising any of the mindfulness techniques we discussed here, you too can learn to be more present, calm your circuits and develop a sense of peace that carries you through the chaos.
If you’ve even slightly toyed with the idea of trying mindfulness, then I urge you to just give it a go. I resisted for a long time but I’m so glad I gave it a crack.
However I do want you to remember that for it to make a difference, you need to be consistent. Make it an everyday habit. It can literally be for 2-mins a day and you can do it almost anywhere.
Don’t expect too much too soon. All you have to do is try little and try often. You can incorporate mindful breathing into everyday tasks too – like showering, cleaning, or commuting (mindful breathing has got me through some pretty horrid commutes…)
In this post we've explored four simple mindfulness practices that are perfect for beginners. From simple breathing exercises to body scans and guided meditations, there's something in here for everyone.
Now imagine a life where stress and overwhelm no longer dominate your thoughts, where you feel a sense of calm and presence in every moment. When you incorporate these practices into your life, you’ll start to make this dream a reality.
So take a deep breath, trust the process, and know that you have the power to find peace through mindfulness.
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