In a world that constantly demands our attention and energy, finding moments of calm can feel like an elusive dream. The pace of modern life—rushed schedules, digital distractions and relentless noise—can leave us feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from ourselves. Amid this chaos, mindfulness offers a refreshing and powerful remedy.
Often our body and our mind are not in the same place at the same time. Our minds are like ‘time travellers’. We worry about things we should have done (the past), things we still have to do (the future), we very rarely are actually in the moment (the present – the here and now).
Mindfulness is living in the now. It is essentially about being more aware and awake in every moment of our life. It is about intentionally paying attention to each moment, being fully engaged in whatever is happening around us and within us. It involves bringing an attitude of curiosity, acceptance and friendliness to whatever is experienced, rather than habitual patterns of judgment and criticism. Mindfulness might simply be described as choosing and learning to control our focus of attention.
Mindfulness is the act of focusing on being in the present, such as focusing completely on drinking a hot cup of tea, taking in its scent, warmth and taste and removing overpowering emotions from the mind. By becoming more aware of our thoughts, feelings and body sensations from moment to moment, we give ourselves the possibility of greater freedom and choice; we do not have to go into the same old ‘mental ruts’ that may have caused problems in the past.
Mindfulness isn’t limited to formal meditation practices. It can be woven into various aspects of your daily life. Whether you’re commuting, working or engaging in leisure activities, bringing mindfulness to these moments can transform ordinary experiences into opportunities for presence and appreciation.
The first step toward becoming mindful is learning to just notice what you are thinking and feeling. Instead of responding to those thoughts and feelings immediately, sit with them and observe them, before you decide what they mean and how to respond. We lead busy lives, when we often are doing more than one thing at once, such as looking at our phones while we are eating, or texting whilst walking. Although it may seem very efficient to do multiple things at once, in reality, multitasking usually doesn’t help us be more productive. Informal mindfulness is all about doing just one thing at a time, with full awareness.
Stop for a moment. Take a few mindful breaths and observe what is happening for you right here and now. Then, proceed with the activity as if it is the most important thing in the world, with great curiosity and care. As you do the activity, tune in to your senses. What does this thing that you are doing look like? What does it smell like? What does it sound like? What does it feel like?
Doing just this one thing, with mindfulness, is enough. If you are walking, just walk. If you are eating, just eat. If you are brushing your teeth, just brush—instead of trying to get it done quickly so that you can move on to something else, invest 100 percent of your effort in brushing your teeth. When you are talking to someone and you find yourself ‘drifting off’, just bring your attention back to that person and give them your full presence, look at them, notice their body language, notice what they are doing, saying.