Incorporating Mindfulness in Your Daily Routine

Depression and anxiety can feel all-consuming and overwhelming, particularly to teens. Even with medication options and various types of therapy, your teen may still need a bit of additional guidance. Mindfulness techniques can offer your teen and you the opportunity to learn more control and better coping as you navigate mental wellness concerns. Incorporating mindfulness techniques into your daily routine can offer several significant benefits.

Defining mindfulness

How much do you know about mindfulness? With origins in Buddhism, mindfulness is the ability to feel fully present in the moment. To be acutely aware of what we’re doing, where we are, and to not feel overwhelmed or reactive to the things going on in our environment. Anxiety can often involve negative thinking about the future. Mindfulness encourages you to focus on the right now, the today, and not tomorrow. There are a few types of mindfulness that you can integrate into your day, including:

• Short pauses of mindfulness meditation that can be inserted into daily life.
• Combining mindfulness meditation with other activities, such as yoga or running.
• Standing, seating, or moving meditation.

The benefits of mindfulness can be subtle but so helpful. When you’re engaged in mindfulness meditation, it is important not to fixate on the potential benefits. Rather, focus on the practice itself.

Mindfulness in your daily routine

It can be a challenge for a busy teen to fit in a full 30-minute or full-hour meditation session every day. Building mindfulness practices into your daily routine can help bring a struggling teen back to the things that truly matter. This can be accomplished with just a few minutes in the day.

1. Go device-free when waking up

Upon waking up, before picking up a smartphone or looking at TV and other devices, take just a few minutes to focus.

• Sit on the edge of the bed, in a relaxed position.
• Close your eyes and focus on each of your body’s sensations.
• Take a few deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
• Focus on your breathing; focus on being in that moment.

Then, set your intentions for the day ahead of you. How might you approach any stressful situations? How could you better cope with the stress and challenges of your day? Remind yourself that being kind to yourself and patient with others can help you address the day.

2. Check in with yourself during the day

Revisit with the intentions you set for the day. Pause, take a few focused breaths. Are you coping well with the things you have to face today? Even just a few short minutes of focused breathing and feeling every sensation in your body can help to ground you.

3. Be present when you eat

Mindfulness and eating may seem like unlikely companions, but mealtimes are a great way to incorporate a bit of mindfulness meditation. Instead of mindlessly eating a sandwich for lunch, take the time to focus on the sensations that can accompany eating. Focus on the sensations of biting, chewing, and swallowing the food. Enjoy each sensation and take the time to appreciate the experience. Food will satisfy your need for nutrition, but it can also bring you an opportunity to focus on the right now, the right here.

4. Actively listen to others

The art of active listening is something we could each learn. Most of our conversations involve spending more time thinking about our responses versus actually listening to what the other person is saying. When you have a conversation with someone, try active listening. This will involve you focusing your full attention on the other person. Pay attention to the words, to the emotions behind the words. Mindful listening could see you experiencing a change in the quality of your conversations. We live in a world that can be so busy, so fast-paced, and can leave us little time to unwind and focus on the important things. This can lead to increased anxiety, depression, and feelings of stress. Mindfulness offers an opportunity to slow down, focus on the moment you are in, and let go of some of the stress and anxiety that you’ve been holding onto. Teens can find this beneficial, as they often have lives just as busy and overwhelming as ours are. Work with your teen to help him understand mindfulness and to help him understand how it can benefit him.