7 Mindfulness Exercises You Can Do Daily to Stay Positive and Focused

In today’s time, we are pretty much living every day the same exact way. The sad part is we have consistent routines and habits that are not serving us. Many people have routines they are not even aware of. These mindless habits and routines are the reason for the negativity and lack of focus. These easy mindfulness exercises can help you change that.

Leaving the negativity and lack of focus behind is a necessity for real growth in life. Mindfulness exercises are the perfect tools that can help you incorporate mindfulness into your daily life.

Mindfulness is a powerful tool because it can help us stay positive and focused in our lives. It involves being aware of our thoughts, feelings, and environment and can be practiced through a variety of exercises. Taking simply some moments each day to focus on mindfulness can have a positive impact on our mental well-being.

This article will explore seven mindfulness exercises that you can do daily to stay positive and focused. These exercises will help to reduce stress, clear your mind and improve your mental clarity. Whether you are a beginner or a regular meditator, these exercises are sure to help you live a more mindful life.

Try this breath awareness guided meditation.

How Living Mindlessly Is Taking Away From You!

Living mindlessly is a dangerous habit that can quickly spiral out of control. This is because when we’re not living mindfully, we are living on autopilot. We go through our days without really paying attention to what we’re doing, thinking, or feeling.

Without mindfulness, it can be difficult to make conscious decisions and acknowledge our feelings and emotions. This can lead to stress, burnout, and a lack of fulfillment.

We miss out on the small moments and the joy that comes with being present. We waste our time and energy on things that don’t add value to our lives and lose sight of our meaningful goals and dreams.

You are losing a lot more than your think:

1. Creativity:
   Loss of creativity is inevitable when you are living in autopilot mode. You become used to the same routine and doing the same way every day. Doing anything without awareness can make you feel stuck when you need inspiration the most.
2. Probabilities of growth:
   Growth requires us to step out of our comfort zone. The probability of growing and achieving more in our lives greatly decreases when we choose comfort. When we live mindlessly, we let go of our ability to choose.
3. Ability to recognize opportunities:
   This is very obvious, living without awareness and mindfulness will cloud your ability to recognize opportunities. This includes opportunities to be happy, to live life, and to achieve success.
4. Quality of relationships:
   When we decide not to take mindful action to cherish people in our lives, it results in tension in our relationships. Awareness can allow you to notice the love and true intentions of people around you.
5. Health:
   Eating mindlessly, not working out, and not paying attention to your mental and physical health are obvious outcomes of living on autopilot.

To avoid these pitfalls, it’s important to practice mindfulness exercises.

This could mean anything from taking 10 minutes to meditate each morning to simply focusing on one task at a time without distractions. It could mean taking a few moments to appreciate the beauty of nature or to be grateful for your blessings.

Whatever it is, the goal is to spend some quality time with yourself and be present in the moment. Practicing mindful living is a great way to stay grounded and connected to yourself and the world around you. It’s also a great way to increase productivity and creativity. So take the time to be mindful and make the most of your life.

There’s a slight possibility that if you are a beginner, you may find forcing during meditation difficult. Learning about what to focus on during meditation can help you easily focus while meditating.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully aware of your thoughts, feelings, and environment. It is a way of living that helps individuals to become less reactive in their daily lives.

In other words, it helps us to respond to situations rather than simply reacting. Practicing mindfulness can be beneficial for both mental and physical health. It can improve your mental clarity and help you to stay more focused and less stressed. It can also improve your physical health by lowering your blood pressure and cortisol levels. When we are mindful, we bring our attention to the present. 

This means that we are fully focused and aware of what is happening in the here and now. We are not worried about the past or the future but instead are fully invested in the ‘now’. This is a great way to battle stress because when you are fully present in the moment, then there is nothing else to worry about. It is a technique that can be applied in all areas of life, from work to home and even to our relationships.

Let’s look at some benefits of mindfulness before we learn and understand more about making mindfulness exercises a daily habit.

Related: Top 4 Differences Between Mindfulness And Meditation

Benefits of Mindfulness

There are a multitude of benefits of mindfulness, and it’s even better if you can practice mindfulness throughout the day. Human life is unique in many ways, one of which, everything is connected in our life. Betterment in one area or one part of life will certainly lead to improvements in other areas of life.

So, even if it seems the benefits we get from mindfulness practice are not a lot from the surface, they are. Long-term mindfulness practices provide a lot more than just focus, clarity, and positivity.

Improved Mental Clarity

A clear mind is key to feeling positive and confident in your day-to-day life. Practicing mindfulness can help you to achieve this by clearing your thoughts and improving your focus. It can become easier to solve problems and make decisions when your thoughts aren’t clouded by stress and worry.

Improved Mental Health

Mindfulness has been shown to reduce feelings of depression and anxiety. It can also help to improve mood and may even be an alternative treatment for those who suffer with depression and anxiety.

Improved Physical Health

Practicing mindfulness can also have a positive effect on your physical health. Mindfulness has been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular reactivity. It also helps reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. It has also been shown to reduce cortisol levels and may even be an effective treatment for certain types of chronic pain.

Improved Relationships

A huge part of relationships is all about communicating. When you practice mindfulness, it becomes easier to communicate your feelings and thoughts. This can help to strengthen relationships and make them more fulfilling.

Improved Focus

As you become less reactive in your daily life and your thoughts are cleared, it gets easier to pay attention to the task at hand. This can be beneficial for all aspects of life, work to home and everything in between.

Mindfulness is not the only way to get these benefits. You can always try various types of meditation to get the benefits without getting bored.

Mindfulness Exercise #1: Body Scan

Body scans are a type of mindfulness exercise that is designed to bring your attention to parts of your body. This exercise can be done sitting or lying down; the important part is to bring your full attention to each part of your body.

Start at your toes, then work your way up to your head and notice the sensations in each body part. You can do a full-body scan for 5 to 10 minutes or just do a quick scan for one body part, such as your stomach.

This exercise can help you to become more aware of sensations in your body, which can be helpful in managing stress. It can also help you to fall asleep easier or deal with discomfort or pain due to injury or illness.

Mindfulness Exercise #2: Mindful Breathing Exercise

This exercise requires you to focus on your breathing. You can do it lying down, sitting, or standing, but it is important to stay still while you do it. Focus on your breath as it comes in and out of your body. If mind starts to wander, you can gently bring it back to your breath. This exercise can help you to reduce stress and anxiety. It can also be helpful if you suffer from anxiety or insomnia, as it can be a good way to calm your mind and body down.

You can also practice mindfulness breathing right before going to sleep. It can make falling asleep a lot easier. Take a deep breath, then continue to focus on your breath. It’s possible that your mind will start to wander, but you can gently bring your attention back. You don’t need to fight the thoughts, but here are some tips to help prevent your mind from wandering.

Mindfulness Exercise #3: Guided Visualization

Guided visualization is a type of mindfulness exercise that involves using your imagination and focusing on positive images, thoughts, and feelings. It is useful for a number of things, such as relaxing your mind, reducing stress, and improving self-esteem.

It can be helpful for managing mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression symptoms, and physical illnesses, such as insomnia, pain, and headaches. Guided visualizations can be done in a variety of ways. You can use audio recordings or written scripts, or you can create your own images in your mind. This is a great exercise to do before bed, as it can help you to relax and fall asleep.

Related: Visualization Meditation: Harnessing the Power of Your Visual Mind

What to do if visualization is difficult for you?

This is something many people struggle with, and it is understandable. Even though it’s not easy to visualize, you can still learn and improve your visualization ability through practice and technique.

If you don’t want to try guided visualization, you can go for guided mindfulness exercises.

In the guided mindfulness exercise, a guide guides you through the phases of the mindfulness exercise. Guided meditation is often used in several forms, but no matter what type you choose, there’s someone there to guide and teach you to mindfulness.

This can be very valuable for beginners who are interested in understanding the imperfections in meditation. There are many others on this list that use guided meditation techniques.

Mindfulness Exercise #4: Grounding Techniques

This mindfulness technique can be done as part of a longer visualization exercise or on its own. It involves bringing yourself back to the present moment by connecting to your five senses. You can do it while standing, but it’s best when done sitting.

You can also use it when you notice that your mind is wandering. This exercise can help to reduce stress and anxiety and can also be beneficial for people who experience PTSD. It can be a useful exercise to do when you notice you are feeling anxious, as it can help you to become more focused and relaxed.

It will be easier if you use guided meditation for this technique if you are feeling anxious. If you are using this grinding technique as part of your regular meditation practice, then it will be easier to do.

You need to focus your attention on all your Five Senses, one after another. Using all five senses will make it easier for you to bring your attention back to the present moment.

Related: These 4 Types Of Exercise For Meditation Offer Incredible Benefits

Mindfulness Exercise #5: Progressive Relaxation

Progressive relaxation is also sometimes called relaxation imagery and involves a series of mental images that lead to relaxation. Sometimes it can be coupled with body scan meditation. You don’t need to be able to visualize perfect images in your mind. It’s all good if you are even able to think and focus on the thought of that vision.

It can be used as a way of reducing stress, anxiety, and insomnia, or it can be combined with other mindfulness exercises, such as mindful breathing. You can do progressive relaxation, either lying down or sitting.

Lying down and meditating have many benefits. It can help release muscle tension. It can work like a great nap. So if you are wondering, can I lay down to meditate? Yes, you can, but you must ensure you are doing it right.

It is a great idea to close your eyes during this exercise, as it will help you to block out distractions. This exercise can take 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the time you have and how relaxed you want to be.

Mindfulness Exercise #6: Mindful Eating

At first, this may seem like an odd exercise to be using in a list of mindfulness exercises. However, it is a great way to bring your attention to the present moment and to focus on your various senses.

When eating mindfully, you will be using your sense of sight, taste, smell, and sense touch also, if you were to eat with your hands. It’s common practice to eat with hand in many cultures around the world, mainly south Asia, the middle east, Africa, and South America.

You can use mindful eating as a way to connect with your body, reduce stress and improve your diet. This exercise can be done during any type of food, whether it is a meal or a snack. It can be beneficial both for your mental and physical wellbeing. It will also make you more aware of the foods that you are consuming. This can be helpful in case you have certain health conditions such as diabetes or high cholesterol.

Read in detail how to practice mindful eating so that you can enjoy all the benefits of this practice.

Here are some benefits of eating mindfulness exercises:

1. Food becomes more enjoyable:

When you eat in a rush, you don’t get to enjoy your food. Eating mindfully means enjoying and paying attention to each bite of food. You are not only tasting and looking at the food, but you are also enjoying the aroma. In return, you feel more satisfied with less amount of food. When you make mindful eating a habit, you will notice that you are feeling full faster than usual with small food portions.

2. Becomes easy to make healthy food choices:

This doesn’t mean you will start to like the taste of healthy food more. It will just make you notice the effect of the food you are consuming on your body and how you feel. There is a deep connection between food and how we feel because all kinds of food also have life source energy. This energy can be higher or lower in different types of food. For example, more processed and preserved food will have lesser life force energy in them.

3. Improves mood:

Some people over it when they are feeling anxious or sad, and some people stop eating at all. This happens because all of us connect food with certain emotions or have emotional connections. We either take out our frustration on food or try to find comfort in it. When you practice mindful eating, you essentially improve your relationship with food. Improving our relationship with food enhances our mood when we eat in a whole different way.

4. Reduced risk of obesity and other health risks:

Mindfulness practice while eating is a lot like meditation. When you are meditating as you eat, you are more likely to feel more satisfied with your meals. Obesity is not always connected to overeating, but having a better relationship with food can help you maintain weight and health. Food is our fuel, and without food, we can’t function. This also means that the kind of food we eat and the way we eat also impact our health. Understanding your food and how it is making your body feel will lead to making better food choices for health.

Mindfulness Exercise #7: Mindful Movement

When you are moving your body, you are better able to focus your attention on what is happening in the present moment. This can be helpful for managing stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also help you to become more aware of the way your body feels, which can be beneficial for those who are suffering from certain health conditions such as pain.

This mindfulness exercise can be done for as little as 5 minutes so that it can easily fit into anyone’s daily schedule. It can be helpful for improving focus and clearing the mind, as well as for improving your mood. Mindful movement can be done in many ways. You can walk slowly, do gentle yoga poses, do tai chi, dance, or make any other type of physical activity a mindful exercise.

The best way to practice mindfulness activities is to pay attention to physical sensations. When choosing a mindful movement, notice how your body feels and how comfortable you are. If you find dancing more comforting and centering compared to walking, then go for it.

Related: These 7 Ways Combining Exercise And Meditation Can Change You For Good

What Are Some Mindful Movements To Do At Home?

• Yoga:
  You must have already expected this to be on the list. You don’t need to go to a yoga instructor to practice basic yoga poses. Just like “workout with me” videos on YouTube, you can easily find some great yoga videos to start with.
• Stretching:
  If you are not comfortable with yoga practice, stretching can also be great. You can observe your movements and breath during stretching. The most important this is you find peace and joy in the movements.
• Dancing:
  You can just let go and practice some freestyle dance movements. Freestyle dancing can be a great therapy.
• Playing Games With Kids:
  Spending time with kids and becoming part of their innocent beautiful world can also be part of your mindfulness practice. Playing games with your kid also presents you with the opportunity to help them learn about mindfulness. There are also many mindfulness activities for kids that you can do with them.
• Cooking:
  You can also find peace and joy in cooking. The key here is not to be in a rush. Cooking can also be a simple solution for including mindfulness practices in your daily life.
• Gardening:
  This also requires you to stay focused and pay attention at hand. If you don’t enjoy cooking, then you might like gardening. Gardening is also rewarding when you start to see the plants and flowers grow. This mindfulness activity brings a different kind of joy and peace of mind.
• Painting:
  Think about all the colors and paint with your hands. This can also be a great mindfulness activity to enjoy with your kids if they like painting.
• Knitting:
  Knitting is an extremely creative activity. You are literally creating a piece of clothing from scratch with wool or knitting yarn. This not only helps your creativity flourish but also helps you focus your attention mindfully on the knitting process.

You can also find more interesting mindfulness activities here.

Conclusion

There are many benefits to practicing mindfulness, and these exercises can help you to achieve them. Most people will notice a positive shift in their mental well-being when they begin to practice these exercises.

If you are feeling stressed, try one of these exercises and see if they help you to reduce your levels of stress. If you aren’t currently practicing mindfulness, these exercises are a great way to start.

There can also be days when you might not feel like doing mindfulness exercises. You can always relax, sit back, close your eyes, and use guided meditation. You can also start with guided mindfulness exercises on the Enhanced meditation app. It’s completely free to sign up. There are also plenty of meditations and affirmations that can help you Enhance your Spiritual Abilities.