A huge part of being mindful is working on your ability to be present in the moment. Our strategy this week will help us develop that skill. It’s called Notice 5 things.
Ever think about how often we arrive home after work and think, ‘wow how did I get here?’ or how often we do an activity and think, ‘there’s no way that was 75 minutes…’ Being present in each moment can help us make the most of our time and find ourselves having fewer and fewer times when we think, ‘where on earth did that hour go?’
- Pause for a moment and take a deep breath, noticing the busyness of your mind and trying to focus in only on your breath.
- Look around, and notice five things you can see. Just notice. Maybe you notice the color of the walls, or the trinket sitting on your desk that you placed there 2 months ago and haven’t thought about since. Notice 5 things you can see.
- Listen carefully, and notice five things you can hear. Maybe you can hear the pipes, maybe you can hear the teacher next door, or your own breathing. Just notice 5 things you can hear.
- Notice five things you can feel. Maybe you notice the wind from your fan on your face, or your watch against your skin, or your feet touching the ground. Just notice 5 things you can feel.
- Take your time with this activity, maybe take one minutes for each step, and then reflect on the way those 3 minutes felt, and how the rest of your day feels too.
Have a great rest of your day, everybody. Don’t let this be your last mindful moment before next time, either.