Can’t sit still? 3 ways to cultivate mindfulness real time

You know this ‘mindfulness’ thing could be good for you, but you’ve tried to sit and meditate - and it feels impossible! You’re restless, irritated and end up feeling more frustrated than before you tried. To say you feel defeated is an understatement!

If this sounds like you, keep reading! Today we’ll look at 3 ways you can cultivate mindfulness (paying attention on purpose in the present moment) in real time. No sitting, stillness or closing your eyes required!

You also don’t need a lot of time! A few moments carved out of your day is enough to begin to build this mental skill and notice more presence, calm and less stress in your day.

These techniques are so simple we can write them off as ineffective - but that would be a mistake. Ready? Let’s go!

1. Ask: “what is here… right now?”

When things get chaotic, it’s easy to get caught up in the ‘what if’ part of our mind.

“What if this doesn’t work out"?”

“What if I can’t do it?”

“What if this lasts forever?”

“What if the worst happens?”

This tends to create a lot of unnecessary tension.

A simple way to shift into the present moment when caught up in the ‘what IF’ mind is to ask yourself: “What is here… right now?” Then tap into your senses.

Make a silent mental list of 3 things you notice. Maybe the smell of your coffee. The sound of folks talking in the room next to you. The sunlight filtering through the window.

Often, you’ll find that when you orient your mind to what IS instead of what IF, you notice that this moment is less stressful and challenging than you may have thought it was.

2. do a mind, heart, body check in

Part of mindfulness is learning to pay attention in the present moment to your own inner workings. This is why mindfulness is so great at helping us cultivate self-awareness.

Take a moment to shift your attention from everything outside you (to do list, work, grocery list, kid’s activities, social calendar, and everyone else’s needs and wants) and direct your attention to yourself.

First, notice your mental state. What’s the quality of your mind? Find one word to describe it. Calm? Agitated? Busy? Swirling thoughts? Focused? Optimistic? Foggy? Just notice.

Now notice your emotional state. What’s the quality of emotion(s) you’re feeling in this moment? Find one word to describe your emotional state. Grateful? Angry? Resentful? Shameful? Worried? Sad? Joyful? Just notice. No judgement needed here. All emotions are normal and welcome.

Finally notice your physical state. What sensations can you notice in your body and where do you feel them? Achiness in your knee? Heaviness in your chest? Warmth in belly? Tension in your neck? Just notice.

This could take as little as 10 seconds, or you could stretch it out to a few minutes. Either way you’ve just cultivated mindfulness AND self-awareness.

3. get curious

It’s human nature to want to fill in the blanks when we don’t know the whole story. The problem, this often leads to judgements and assumptions (and we know what they say about assumptions!)

In relationships (personal and professional), this can get messy. We assume, act on the assumption and before we know it, we’re back pedalling and cleaning up a mess that didn’t need to occur.

The next time you receive information from someone - via email, in person, phone, etc. - instead of jumping into action mode, challenge yourself to ask 3 follow up questions. The challenge doesn’t end there. Now you must listen — not to respond, but to truly understand. Asking more questions will lead to a deeper understanding of the other individual.

You’ll be amazing at how much you learn about the people in your life, what they care about, projects at work, etc.

As with most mindfulness practices, this might initially take some time, but what you learn in the process of getting curious has the potential to save you valuable time later.

Although it’s a common turn of phrase, knowing isn’t actually half the battle so we have to take action. Give one of these real time mindfulness techniques a try and let me know how it goes!

ready for your team to benefit from mindfulness?

Just like building any new skill, getting expert guidance can make all the difference.

If you’re looking for an engaging, well-attended program to boost workplace wellbeing, book a call with me to discuss how my programming can equip your team to handle anything that life and work throws their way.