5 (non-meditation) ideas for mindfulness
By now we’ve all learned that meditation is linked with reducing stress and anxiety. In fact, it can actually beneficially change our brain composition. However, meditation isn’t accessible to everyone. And even for those of us who do find meditation helpful, sometimes we crave other ways to disconnect from daily pressures and rebalance our minds.
Here are five of our favorite non-meditation mindfulness activities:
1. Take a 10-minute sensory detox. This could mean drinking a cup of tea or coffee, going for a walk, or watching the sunset. No reading (including text on paper), scrolling, or listening to music allowed. When was the last time you simply sat with a hot beverage and let your mind wander?
2. Write down a few things you’re grateful for. Positive psychology studies conclude that showing gratitude boosts happiness levels. It shifts our attention away from wanting, and has us on the lookout for all the positive happenings in our day. Once you start writing, you realize the list could be literally endless.
3. Send a friend a handwritten note. Whether it’s a ‘thank-you’ or ‘thinking-of-you’ card, John Coleman of Harvard Business Review explains why a handwritten note is so much more meaningful than a text or phone call. Unlike digital communication, writing by hand forces us to reflect on our thoughts before we compose a thoughtful message.
4. Make time for hands-on hobbies. The Huffington Post shares a couple studies showing that engagement in hobbies is correlated with greater happiness, less stress, and greater creativity. While we also do love reading, we’ve found that tactile hobbies like cooking, gardening, painting, or playing an instrument are especially conducive to staying present, since they involve both body and mind.
5. Write a journal entry. Journaling encourages us to develop awareness of our current emotions and mentality. Importantly, this does not need to read like a series of ‘dear diary’ entries! Check out Lavendaire for list of creative journal prompts here.
