3 Mini Mindfulness Exercises You Can Do Without Meditating

Happy New Year, everyone! How was your holiday season this past year? If it was anything like mine, you probably not only had lots of joyous moments, but also lots of hectic running around, getting things ready, hosting, traveling, ordering last-minute presents, and getting in touch with loved ones.

Times like these can sparkle with fun energy and can leave us feeling frazzled. That’s because all this running around makes it hard to be mindful. By mindful, I mean being present in the here and now with a non-judgmental attitude. The opposites of mindful are multi-tasking, judging, worrying, mentally planning, and getting stuck in our minds instead of being simply and fully in the real world in this current moment. 

When was the last time you were fully mindful? What did it feel like?

If the answer comes readily to mind, good for you! You’re probably reaping the benefits of being mindful by being regularly tuned into the here and now. Those benefits include better physical health, better relationships with sleep and food, better job satisfaction, higher self-esteem, and being less prone to worry. In children, mindfulness training may improve the development of their self-regulation skills. In adults, mindfulness training can improve coping with health problems, stress, anxiety, and depression.

How to be mindful without meditation

I hear you protest: “Sure, I’d like to be more mindful, but I don’t have time to sit down and meditate for 30 minutes every day!”

We want to be present for all of these events, whether pleasant or unpleasant, to live a rich and full life.

Worry not! Although meditation is an excellent practice, it’s not the only way to cultivate mindfulness. The ultimate goal of practicing is to become mindful in our day-to-day lives, during our commutes, our work, our play, our diaper-changing and fights with spouses, our awkward conversations, and our giddy triumphs. We want to be present for all of these events, whether pleasant or unpleasant, to live a rich and full life.

There are some mini mindfulness exercises you can do during any of the scenarios I just described. No meditation required! Put these in your back pocket to use for five seconds or five minutes, any time you could use a dose of mindfulness.

1. Riding your breath

The breath is always my first go-...

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