Can Fidgety People Start a Mindfulness Practise?

By Irene Roth

Given our world of alacrity and technology, it is difficult for most of us to be mindful. We have to very diligently take ourselves out of the frey in order to cultivate even a few moments of quiet and stillness. Given this kind of world, it can be hard to start a mindfulness practice. But is it impossible?

I believe that given the state of our world, it is especially important to take steps to become more mindful. This is because mindlessness can cause a lot of undue anxiety and health problems down the road.

But what about the person who is anxious and mindless-- can such a person meditate or start a mindfulness practise? I believe that anyone can start a mindfulness practise, regardless of our current state of mind. And given the busy, plugged-in world that we all live in the midst of, I believe that it is especially important to develop a mindfulness practise.

In this article, I will show you how to start a mindfulness practise, even if you are fidgety. The best way to start is small and slow. Here are a few simple things you can try to be more mindful in your everyday world.

1. Start by being more mindful when you brush your teeth. Take some time to really look in the mirror at yourself. How do you look? What is the temperature in the room? How are you feeling as you brush your teeth? Are you tired? Sad? Depressed? Become conscious of how you are in this moment.

2. Become more conscious of your breath at different times of the day, such as when you are drinking a cup of coffee, or take a break, or going to the washroom. Try to choose activities that are routine, and when you know that you will be quite mindless, rehearsing different aspects of what happened already or will happen in the future.

3. Do a walking meditation for a minute at a time. You may want to start the practise at home when you won't be disturbed by the outside noise and seeing familiar faces as you walk outside. Be as precise as you can be. So, set a timer for one minute and see if you can be completely present to what you are doing at this moment. If you aren't, don't be too hard on yourself. Just keep bringing your attention to the moment when you realize that you are thinking of something else.

4. Try to eat mindfully. Turn off the television and all technological gadgets. If you are eating with another person, let the other person know that you will be trying to eat more mindfully a few times a week. Who knows, you may even inspire others to be more mindful while eating too.

5. Drink coffee or tea mindfully. Try to bring your attention fully to what you are doing which is drinking your cup of coffee or tea. Set a timer for one minute, and do nothing but drink your beverage. When the minute is over, you can lapse into other activities.

6. Do one thing at a time. Try not to multi-task for a while. Try and really pay attention to what you are doing at the time.

By taking these steps, you will become more mindful by doing everyday tasks mindfully. This is one important way to become more mindful.

Developing a mindfulness practise need not be difficult. However, it needs to be consistent. Try and start slow and small, but be consistent. Over time, you will develop mindfulness.

Irene S. Roth writes for teens, tweens, and kids about self-empowerment. She is the author of over fifty-five books and e-books and over one thousand online articles. She also has over two thousand published book reviews both online and in print. In addition, she published an e-book on how not to scattered in our culture. Please double click on this link for more information.   https://www.amazon.com/Scattered-Scattered-Mind-Twenty-First-Century-ebook/dp/B0193PC5L4?ie=UTF8&qid=1451453621&ref_=sr_1_1&s=digital-text&sr=1-1