Mindfulness Exercises To Try | Reviewed by Melbourne Therapists
Introducing the practice of mindfulness into your daily routine is a welcome blessing as it helps improve well-being in a lot of ways. However, the idea of practising mindfulness and turning it into a habit may feel like a chore for many people.
Inner Eastern Psychology understands that this could be a concern and we are here for support.
In this article, we will explore three beginner-friendly exercises used to practise mindfulness. Our Melbourne therapists have ranked these exercises as relatively easy to do given that they can be done anytime, anywhere, and take just a few minutes of your day.
Defining Mindfulness
According to the Australian Psychological Society, we can define mindfulness as the state of consciousness where we intentionally pay attention to what's happening with our current thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judging them as good or bad.
Mindfulness can be beneficial, as it can help avoid automatic habits that may not be psychologically or physically healthy.
It helps by taking a ‘step back’, becoming aware of the present and calmly observing ourselves without immediate judgements or overly negative reactions to situations.
Three Beginner Mindfulness Exercises You Can Try
Based on several studies, there is evidence that mindfulness practices can benefit us in the following ways:
Reduce stress and anxiety levels with the help of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
Improve mood and quality of life
Here are three of beginner-friendly exercises that may help achieve the some positive results:
The Three-Minute Breathing Space
This quick exercise takes only three minutes to practise, perfect for people with bustling lives and little to no spare time to step out of autopilot, and reconnect with the present.
Here’s how to practise the three-minute breathing space:
Set a timer on the phone for three minutes and look for a calm and quiet environment, making ourselves comfortable there.
Take notice of what happens to the mind and body. Look for thoughts, feelings, emotions, or sensations that are automatically generated in this mindset.
Focus our attention on our breathing and avoid changing patterns as soon as we notice it. If we notice that our mind drifts off, gently shift our focus back to breathing.
Next, slowly expand our attention further out the body. Take note of all the sensations we may feel from head to toe, as well as inside the body.
At a certain point (around three minutes), we may allow ourselves to open our eyes slowly, move our fingers and toes, and continue about our day.
Body Scan
The body scan is another quick exercise that also uses the body's sensations as an anchor for mindfulness. This exercise is perfect for individuals who constantly feel uneasy, restless, or disorganised. Here’s how to engage with the exercise:
Look for a calm and quiet environment where we won't be interrupted, as we aim to keep the exercise comfortable for limited sensory distraction.
Take a few deep breaths with our belly until our breathing slows down. We can focus on the sensation of how our belly moves with each inhale and exhale.
Start looking or 'scanning' the body with our feet. Try to feel anything in between breaths, and take note of any tension or pain. Once done, visualise the pain leaving our body as we breathe, carrying tension as we exhale.
Take a minute or two to repeat this process until you feel any discomfort or are ready to move on to the next step.
Repeat the process to other areas of the body by slowly working our way up to the legs, stomach, arms, and neck, until you reach the head.
Practising Mindfulness In Everyday Tasks
We can introduce mindfulness into something where our mind tends to wander the most, e.g., chores. Tasks such as cooking or doing the dishes can let our minds run on autopilot as our thoughts drift off and come back when we finish them.
As we do these tasks, take a feel for what's currently happening to our surroundings, focusing on our five senses: Sight, Touch, Hearing, Taste, Smell. How warm does it feel as our hand nears the burner? How cold is the water as we rinse the dishes? How does it feel to grip the sponge in our hand?
Continue feeling until our mind drifts off, and once it does, slowly shift our focus back to the tasks until we have completed them.
Get In Touch With Inner Eastern Psychology Today
These are only a few of the many beginner-friendly approaches to practising mindfulness. As everyone’s needs are different, this may or may not work depending on each individual’s circumstance.
With this in mind, we recommend seeking one of our Melbourne therapists for support. Our clinicians have the training, experience, and therapeutic modalities to effectively help build a consistent mindfulness routine.
Contact us today, and let us help you connect with a psychologist for support.