Mindful Daily Routines

Mindful Daily Routines

Dr. Carrie Brennan: Many mindfulness-based practices give us the skills and strategies that we need to handle stressful or challenging situations. But in order to effectively use these skills, we need to spend time cultivating our awareness, and this is something that we can do many times throughout the day.

Let's think about some of the daily routines that you engage in every day. Maybe it's brushing your teeth, commuting to work, making your bed, or eating. Each of these presents you with an opportunity to use your skills of awareness, to engage all of your senses and be thoughtful and present in the moment.

Let's think about eating. Instead of mindlessly putting food in your mouth, can you really slow down and engage your senses? Can you think about the taste, the texture, and even the smell of what you're eating? Can you notice any emotions that come up for you as you're engaging in your breakfast? The more you do this, you're actually cultivating your awareness, you're building this muscle, and that's something you'll be able to use later in more challenging situations.