Mindfulness Exercises for the Busy Young Adult

People have been practicing mindfulness for years. The mental health benefits of mindfulness for addressing stress, anxiety, depression, anger, and frustration are well-documented. In addition to addressing troubling emotions, practicing mindfulness increases overall life satisfaction, wellness, and fosters a sense of peace.

You can engage in creative and fun mindfulness activities in very little time, OR no extra time at all! Perfect for the busy young adult! You can achieve the benefits of mindfulness, including increased relaxation and peace, simply by changing a few ways you go about your day!

Appreciate Sensory Experiences

Focus on your senses that you may take for granted, especially when you’re busy! When eating, consider the taste and texture of what you are eating. When listening to music, close your eyes and focus on the talent of the musician, the combinations of sounds, and the variety of sounds. Be grateful for the sounds and your ability to hear them with your ears. When stepping outside, take in the aroma of the outdoors and appreciate the different scents. Ask yourself what scents you notice, encourage yourself to pay attention to the different textures that your hands touch, and focus on gratefulness for these senses.

Gratitude Journal

Spend two to three minutes a day thinking about one or two new things to be grateful for each day. Make sure that your list is different every day, and keep it simple. This helps foster gratitude for the simplest, common things that you may take for granted. It also helps to expand your awareness of different things in your life to be grateful for. This is powerful and effective because you are helping training your brain to see the world differently, to look for the positive, and to celebrate the “small” things that are present every day. This is a quick way of learning and practicing optimism. This exercise is also more powerful when you are specific. For example, if you are grateful for your best friend, write about why you’re grateful for your best friend. Being more specific helps your brain to think in the new pattern of optimism and positivity.

Mindfulness apps

Mindfulness apps are a great way to use technology in a positive way. Some popular ones are The Mindfulness App, Headspace: Sleep and Meditation, Breathwrk: Breathing Exercises, Miracle Morning, Calm, and my personal favorite – Insight Timer.

Going Back in Time

You may believe that you’re way too old to use playdough, or to draw with markers. However, these simple activities have a wonderful calming effect, and encourage you to connect with yourself. The simple act of kneading playdough or coloring with a marker induces a sense of relaxation. This is particularly helpful when you’re experiencing stress and anxiety related to your to-do list! Here is a link to making your own playdough: https://ourbestbites.com/the-worlds-best-homemade-play-doh/ and here is a link to some coloring books: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=relaxation+coloring+books&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Arelaxation+coloring+books

Team Gratitude

Pick a friend or family member who is willing to make a commitment to sharing thoughts of gratitude for a specific amount of time, such as a week, a month, or even a year! Share your thoughts with the other person in whatever way feels good to you by the end of the day. This could be a text, voice message, video, or photo. This is powerful because it builds in human connection into your daily life, and this is powerful because our relationships are the strongest predictor of happiness and wellbeing. Also, having another person’s perspective and ideas can open your mind to things to be grateful for that you may have overlooked. This exercise also helps you to be more mindful and connect to your present life.

Start the Day off with Intentional Gratitude

Incorporate mindfulness into activities that you’re already doing every morning. While you’re eating breakfast, pay attention to the way the food tastes. If you’re drinking a warm beverage, wrap your hands around the mug and feel the warmth. Take in the aroma of what you’re eating and drinking. Look at what you see on your way to class or work, and appreciate what you see, and that you have eyes to see it!

Favorite Day Visualization

This is a visualization technique that you can do anywhere, and it does not require anything but your memory! Think about one of your favorite days from the past. When thinking about this day, remember and visualize the experience in as much detail as possible, using the senses. Think about what you smelled, saw, felt, heard, and tasted. This is a beautiful way to connect with your life and your lived experiences, and a wonderful technique to induce relaxation.  

Gratitude Letter

Using a store-bought, hand-made, or computer-generated card, think of one person who has had a positive impact on your life, and handwrite and mail a gratitude letter. This could be about one single event, or an ongoing presence in your life. It could be someone from your past, or someone who continues to have a positive influence on your life. Think about the kind acts of others, big and small. Not only will this make the recipient happy to receive in the mail, but practicing this kind of gratitude will lift your spirits by remembering something special that was done for you, and helps you to connect to the goodness in your life. It also increases social connectedness, which tends to make us happier.

The All Good Things Jar

In a place in your home, keep a glass jar, along with blank slips of paper. When something good happens, big or small, write it down, along with the date, and how this made you feel. This helps you connect to your life by taking the time to write about events, and to reflect about them. Also, seeing the slips of paper through the glass is a visual reminder of positive experiences in your life, without reading them! Then when the jar is full, open the jar and read the slips. This can be done alone, or with the people in your home.

Engage in Random and Planned Acts of Kindness

Some ideas for random acts of kindness include paying for the person in line behind you at the coffee shop, leaving an inspirational note on a stranger’s windshield, or complimenting someone while you are running errands. Pause to consider how this makes you feel, and how the recipient may feel.

Planned acts of kindness may involve outings to give to others. The possibilities are endless. Give to the food pantry, volunteer at a soup kitchen, gather gently used toys and clothes to donate, organize a toy or food drive, sing at a senior center, make cards for soldiers, make placemats for community meal delivery. Giving to others helps you to be more aware of what you have in your life, and makes you more grateful for what you have, especially when you feel that you do not have much to give. Think about a cause that interests you, and began planning how to give.

The Use of Visual Props

There are several kinds of visual props that can be used to increase mindfulness and induce relaxation. With the “Calm Glitter Jar,” watching the glitter settle has a soothing, calming effect. While watching, you can also focus on their breathing. Here is a link to making one. Other props include blowing bubbles and watching them fall, lava lamps, snow globes, sand art, fountains, and simply watching snow or rain fall.

Say Thank You Out Loud

This sounds so simple, but the impact is powerful. We are so busy going about our lives, that sometimes we do not pay enough attention when small, but kind, acts are done for us. Thank the person who held the door open for you, the grocery cashier who bagged your items, the person who passed a piece of paper to you during class or a meeting. These are acts that we are already saying “thank you” for, but engage in saying “thank you” with increased mindfulness and attention, and inflection in your voice. When appropriate, be specific – “Thank you for holding the door for me. That was so kind of you.”

Gratitude While Walking

While out for a walk for exercise, or during errands, make a conscious effort to pay attention to all of the positive information coming through your senses. Do you smell flowers, grass, leaves, aroma from a restaurant or someone’s kitchen? Do you see a beautiful yard, pet, storefront? Highlight for yourself what you are experiencing through your senses. Try this especially in areas that are familiar to you and be grateful for what you may have missed before.

Breathing Exercises

These are so simple, and can be done anywhere. Sit in a recliner, a comfortable chair, lying down, or propped up in a bed. Place your hands folded on your stomach. Inhale, and watch your stomach and hands rise and fall with each breath. Imagine filling a balloon in your stomach with the air. Focus your mind on the breath, and to let any thoughts drift away. If you’re struggling with thoughts, it may be helpful to focus on repeating a word with each breath, such as “relax”, “calm”, or “peace”. You can also use one of the breathing apps to help you get started.

Breathing exercises are helpful to increase mindfulness and relaxation. They have been proven effective in coping with troubling emotions, such as anxiety, anger, and depression. Practice breathing exercises when you are calm, and you will be more likely to call upon this exercise when feeling frustrated, angry, or anxious.

Embracing the Ordinary Day

Some days are filled with simple ordinary activities and responsibilities. These ordinary days can be cherished. For example, although chores can be tedious, there is much to be grateful for. When doing laundry, you can be grateful for the washing machine, and that you have clothes. Also, when we are having an ordinary day, we can be grateful because it means that we are not in the midst of tragedy. With increased mindfulness, we have increased appreciation for the ordinary. With increased appreciation for the ordinary, there’s more opportunity for feeling good every day!