This post is all about mindfulness activities which anyone can try in order to become more present, aware, and appreciative of the moment you are in. I will introduce 7 activities that will help you slow down and become present.
With the craziness of today’s day and age it is very common to be distracted, stressed, and mindlessly getting through each day. Becoming more mindful of the moment you are in can help you appreciate every day, understand where you can make improvements, and improve your overall quality of life! Mindfulness has helped me make drastic improvements in multiple aspects of my life and today I am going to share my 7 favorite mindfulness activities.
By the end of this post, you will be able to have enough knowledge to implement even one of these activities in order to make large improvements as soon as possible. You will immediately feel more grounded, intentional with what you are doing, and less stressed each day!
This post is all about eye opening mindfulness activities that anyone can try today to improve their quality of life!
7 Mindfulness Activities
1. Take Photos
Practicing mindfulness is all about being more present in the moment you are in! By taking photos you are becoming extremely aware of your surroundings and how they all come together to make a beautiful portrait you intend on capturing. Additionally, taking photos makes you recognize how the lighting affects everything around you, how a gust of wind can effortlessly perch up the greenery, and how the wildlife seems to perfectly fit into portrait.
I am new at taking pictures, but I would recommend to anyone getting a reliable camera and lens. This Canon M50 from amazon is what I decided to get, and I would never go back to taking pictures on my phone. When paired with a reliable lens like the Sigma 16 mm f/1.4 the resulting photo is stunning. These are both beginner friendly pieces of equipment (As I found out from personal experience), and it will take me a long time to upgrade to any other camera because I have had such great experiences with this setup.
2. Keep a Nature Journal
Similar to the camera, a nature journal can help you become more aware of your surroundings. If you are not tech savvy or would prefer to journal what you see, hear, smell, or feel, then a nature journal would be the next best option. It is important to journal everything that sticks out to you and really let the emotions flow. As you become more experienced journaling the nature around you, you will be wanting to journal everything. Looking back at a nature journal also will reinvoke the same powerful feelings you felt during that session!
Nature journaling can be intimidating if you are just getting started. This Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Walker Leslie does a better job getting you started than other nature journals. If you are like me, you need direction and help with getting started, but once you get started you are GONE! This journal lays out the “how to” portion of journaling and has a ton of examples.
3. Cook With Intent
Cooking is not only a lifelong skill, but it also paves the way for your mindfulness journey. Just the other day I decided to try this mindfulness activity out for myself. I made a delicious pozole and the entire time I was practicing being present in the moment. I had my headphones on playing soothing music and became extremely focused on what I was doing. Focusing on how the knife was cutting, how the food felt, and how the kitchen smelled was incredibly satisfying! In addition, becoming aware of how the food tasted when I was done made me enjoy eating so much more.
Last year my friend recommended Babish’s knife set, and I have used the same knives since then. They are the sharpest knives I own, are extremely affordable, and were the first “actual” knives I purchased. A good knife set is important because you will enjoy cooking more and are much less likely to injure yourself.
4. Go For a Picnic
When I think of picnics I think of a summer day, a nice breeze, and healthy foods. Going for a picnic can make you more aware of your surroundings (Especially if you pair it with some of the previous tips). Taking pictures, becoming focused on your food, and journaling on a picnic will enhance your experience greatly. Additionally, actively listening and talking with someone else is another way to enjoy the moment.
A picnic basket is an essential to have for this activity! This exact picnic basket from amazon is all you need to get started! It comes with a cooler compartment, a waterproof blanket, silverware, plates, glasses, and more! Going for a picnic and being present is all about enjoying your experience. Whenever I take this basket with me on a sunny day, I have no doubt that I am not going to regret getting out of the house.
5. Read a New Book
This last year I have been challenging myself to read as much as I can. I have read good books, bad books, and everything in between (Although I have definitely read more good than bad). Reading can be a mindfulness activity because it teaches you how to keep your mind focused. If you are anything like me, you know the feeling of reading a paragraph and needing to re-read it because you were thinking of something else. Actively practicing how to read and stay focused will help you in all other mindfulness activities.
This book is the definition of a chef’s kiss. Reality Transurfing is the book I am reading right now and is the book that I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. This book is all about bending reality to what you want it to be. It teaches how to take control of your destiny, and how anyone can live the life they want. My only regret about this book is that I didn’t read it earlier!
6. Start a Sketchbook
Similar to reading, starting a sketchbook can help you really focus on the now. A sketchbook is all about taking the time to disassociate your brain from all the thoughts and feeling that are distracting you. By using a reference photo, it is important to draw only what you see and not what you think you see. This is a very important difference. We have become so used to thinking we know what a dog looks like that when we go to actually draw it the result is frightening (At least mine is)! Take the time you set aside for sketching and really become present.
This sketchbook is the perfect starter. You can choose to not buy Starbucks one morning and instead have countless hours of mindfulness practice. Having a consolidated place for your sketches can help you see progress easily! This is a high-quality affordable sketchbook that will fit anywhere.
7.Music Appreciation
This by far is my favorite activity to practice being present. I listen to music literally every day. Next time you listen to music practice really listening to it! Listen to how the artist pronounces every word. Listen to the message of the song. Additionally, listen to all of the sounds that come together to make your favorite song!
I will always swear by the Beats Studio Pros. These headphones have amazing noise cancellation which makes it easy to focus on the song. Frequently I will sit down and just listen to an entire song or two start to finish. At the time of writing this, these are on an insane sale which makes me wish I would have waited to get mine!
