Mindfulness is a discipline that seeks to quiet thoughts, focus attention on the present, and consciously experience our personal experiences. That is, we have the ability to identify our emotional and physical reactions to the different situations we face.
Practicing mindfulness is like taking your brain to the gym every day. This routine can improve your concentration, enhance self-awareness, reduce activity in the amygdala, which is the center of stress, anger, and fear, and activate the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in empathy and decision-making.
To develop mindfulness, you don't just need to sit and meditate; there are many daily exercises that will help you enhance this state. Here are a few:
1. Prepare coffee
Making your coffee can become an effective mindfulness ritual. Notice every detail, the textures, colors, and smells. Watch the water boil, the coffee rise in the cup. Enjoy each step with the time it takes to prepare it correctly. Enjoy every sip.
2. Walk slowly
Slowing down is a great exercise that few of us do consciously. We usually rush everywhere, but one of the most useful mindfulness practices is simply to do the opposite. Pay attention to every step you take and the rhythm of your breathing as you do so. Notice the changes in the light, feel the breeze, the weather, and wander around the space, paying attention to everything you can observe.
3. Be grateful
Look at a specific person or situation in your life, be grateful for their presence, look beyond what you would at any given moment, and think about how that person or thing contributes to your learning journey. If you can, share your feelings of gratitude with them.
4. Count to ten
Close your eyes or focus your gaze on a single point and slowly count to ten. If you find yourself losing focus or having thoughts like "I should go buy this" or "I haven't called yet," don't beat yourself up. Try to push those thoughts away and start over until you reach the end of the count. Repeat several times a day.
5. Clean your spaces
Performing a physical and emotional decluttering of your home and the spaces you use most, such as your office or gym locker, will help you let go of things you no longer use. Focus on each step of the decluttering process with mindfulness. Just as you organize your physical spaces, you will also organize your mind, your ideas, and your thoughts.
According to AndrΓ©s MartΓn Asuero, founder of Esmindfulness and writer, there's an optimal zone in your brain where the best version of yourself unfoldsβwhere you listen best, relate best, and make the best decisions. We invite you to find your "zone" and try visiting it at various times of the day with these simple, everyday activities.