20 mindfulness exercises and tips: how to live ‘in the moment’

How you wake up in the morning lays the foundation for the rest of the day – it’s therefore the perfect time to practise some mindfulness. To make sure you have enough time for this, it’s a good idea to set your alarm to go off a few minutes earlier than usual and do the following mindfulness exercises.

As soon as you wake up, close your eyes again for a moment and tune in to your body. How does it feel after having slept? Are you well-rested and completely relaxed, or are you on the verge of feeling stressed? Rather than letting any negative thoughts that sneak in get to you, simply send them away again; focus fully on yourself and be present.

Take a few minutes to inhale and exhale deeply, and focus once again on your physical awareness. Thanks to this short mindfulness exercise, you can consciously focus your attention on the moment in the morning and start your day full of energy and vigour.

The body scan is one of the best-known mindfulness exercises, and an excellent way to relieve stress and become more aware of your body. To do the body scan, lie down on a flat surface such as a yoga mat or carpet/rug and focus on the different parts of your body one after the other. Try to feel them without moving them.

Start with your toes and slowly ‘scan’ all the parts of your body, all the way up to your head. Pay attention to how each area of your body feels without evaluating the sensations. This exercise promotes relaxation and helps you to become more aware of tension, stress and physical ailments.

Our daily lives are often hectic, which is why it is all the more important to regularly stop for a minute to savour the moment or consciously take it in. Take small breaks throughout the day to sit quietly for a few minutes.

Close your eyes, inhale and exhale deeply once or twice to even out your breathing again. Try to calm your thoughts and be aware of everything around you. These short mindfulness breaks will help you to calm down in the chaos of daily life and restore your inner balance.

Tip: if you don’t remember to take breaks from time to time, you can also take advantage of waiting times to practise moments of mindfulness. Whether at the bus stop, in a queue or while waiting for your morning coffee to brew: there’s always an opportunity to be mindful.

Take a moment to consciously listen to the sounds around you. Be it the sound of the wind, the hum of a computer or the murmuring of people – try to observe these sounds neutrally and without evaluating them. This is a simple but effective mindfulness exercise that helps you to focus your attention on the moment and calm your mind.

Silence can be unfamiliar for many people, especially if they are often out and about and surrounded by other people on a daily basis. Completely quiet moments, however, are a wonderful opportunity to become mindful of your body. Take a few minutes each day to sit in complete silence; without the TV on, no mobile phone and ideally with the window closed.

Remove yourself from all external stimuli, close your eyes and observe your breathing. You’ll notice how your mind calms down as you experience a moment without any distractions. If you like, you can also take this opportunity to run through a body scan.

Walking barefoot is an excellent exercise to strengthen your connection to your body and nature. Whether in a meadow, on soil, on a soft rug/carpet or – for particularly tough people – even on gravel paths and stones: take note of how the ground feels beneath your feet. By consciously observing the surface you’re walking on, you’re training yourself to be more mindful and will become more aware of small, everyday things.

Everyday activities such as brushing your teeth or washing the dishes also offer a great opportunity to practise mindfulness. Try to focus fully on these activities and be conscious of every movement and sensation.

How does the toothbrush feel in your hand? What texture does the crockery have? Describe the sensations in your head in order to fully focus your attention on the present. Start with small or brief tasks first, since long ones can quickly become overwhelming.

A quiet walk also brings our awareness back to the moment and makes us more mindful. Go for a stroll without listening to music or being distracted by a device – it’s best to simply leave your headphones and mobile phone behind.

Instead, focus on your surroundings: the colours of the trees, the feeling of the wind on your skin, the sounds of nature. You’ll quickly notice wonderful things that you might otherwise have overlooked or found less special. Mindful walking is a wonderful way to calm the mind, forget the daily grind and connect with nature.

Eating and drinking are also excellent opportunities to practice mindfulness on a daily basis. Instead of devouring your food quickly, take your time and consciously savour every bite. This not only makes you more mindful, but is also healthier for your digestion.

Ask yourself the following questions when eating and drinking: how does it taste? Which spices and flavours can I taste? Can I identify individual components? How does the food feel in my mouth and how does chewing change its consistency?

Make sure you eat slowly and also take your time to enjoy your drink; this will allow you to feel the sensation of how cold and hot beverages slowly flow down your oesophagus. This exercise will help you to appreciate your food more, and have greater awareness of your body and how full you feel.

Take a few minutes each day to consciously sharpen all your senses. Sit down and pay attention to:

• Colours and shapes: what feelings does the appearance of my surroundings trigger in me?

• Sounds: what am I hearing right now? Where are the sounds coming from?

• Smells: does my environment smell neutral? If not, what does it smell like?

• Taste: what flavour do I have in my mouth right now? Can I taste what I have most recently had to eat or drink?

• Touch: how do my clothes and accessories feel on my skin? Am I hot or cold?

By activating your senses, you are focusing your attention on the present moment and training yourself to be more mindful.

In our hectic everyday lives, we often make decisions out of habit or under stress. Instead, try to make your decisions more consciously and mindfully. Before you make a choice, pause for a moment and think about why you are deciding in favour of or against something.

Question the decisions you usually make and think about what you really feel like right now. This might be when choosing what to wear, what to eat at the canteen, what to buy at the supermarket or when deciding where to sit on the bus. This exercise will help you to make more mindful decisions and be more aware of your needs.

Mindful work means focusing your full attention on the task at hand. Avoid multitasking and concentrate on one activity at a time. This mindfulness exercise can help you work more efficiently while reducing the stress that often comes from juggling multiple tasks.

If you find it difficult to concentrate on a task for longer period of time, it’s a good idea to allow for regular breaks. For example, set an alarm to take a five-minute break after 30 minutes of working on a task. You should also practise mindfulness when taking your break; listen to what you need in that very moment and fulfil this.

Make small changes in your daily life to break out of old routines and encounter new things that you can experience mindfully. For example, move a piece of furniture or take a different route to work to see things in a different light. For simple tasks like brushing your teeth or hoovering, for example, simply use your other hand to work on your mindfulness and give your brain new stimuli.

Imagine you are taking an internal photo of a moment you’re experiencing. Be it a beautiful landscape or a special moment – pause, take a deep breath and ‘take a photo’ of this moment in your mind. Try to store what you’ve seen in your memory so that you can experience it again later.

You can also take a real photo of the moment and compare the two later: does the photo resemble your memory and is there anything different? This exercise sharpens your attention, and helps you to become more aware of and appreciate the beauty of the moment.

Meditation is a classic mindfulness practice that helps you to calm your thoughts and consciously experience the moment. To meditate, find a quiet place to sit, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Let go of your thoughts and keep bringing your attention back to your breath.

Meditation can help you get through the day feeling more mindful and relaxed. However, patience is also required here: meditating once may relax you for a short time, but if you are hoping to achieve long-term benefits and become more mindful through meditation, you should learn how to practise it masterfully and over a longer period of time.

Rather than just having music playing, it’s advisable to consciously take the time to listen to it mindfully. Focus on the individual instruments, the melody and the rhythm. How does the music change? What emotions does it awaken in you? Listening to music attentively can be a relaxing and enriching mindfulness exercise.

Mix things up by listening to songs you particularly like as well as songs or genres that you like less. You’ll soon realise why you love your favourite songs so much – and you might even learn to appreciate music that you wouldn’t have expected to.

Mindfulness also means becoming aware of your thoughts and recognising negative beliefs. If you notice that you constantly have negative thoughts about yourself, about others or about certain situations, stop yourself in your tracks and try to change these thoughts into positive ones.

Instead of thinking ‘I can’t do that’, say to yourself ‘I can learn how to do that’ or ‘I may not be great at that, but I’m really good at other things’. Instead of complaining about the bad weather, look forward to a cosy day curled up on the sofa. This exercise will help you to be more mindful of your thoughts and develop a more positive mindset.

Chaos in your physical space can also lead to chaos in your mind. Regularly decluttering your home is a good mindfulness exercise. Take the time to look at your belongings carefully and let go of old things you no longer need. This will create more room to breathe or space for new treasures – whatever you prefer.

In any case, this mindfulness exercise will help you to consciously take a look at your material belongings and either appreciate them or pass them on to someone else who can enjoy them. A tidy room also contributes to a calmer, more mindful life.

In our daily lives, we often live in the future: what else is on my to-do list? What do I have to work on tomorrow? What are my short-term and long-term goals? All of this is, of course, justified and perfectly natural – but how about giving what has already happened the attention it deserves?

Before you go to bed in the evening, take a few minutes to reflect on your day. What did you experience? Which moments were particularly nice? What went better than usual and what could you do better tomorrow? This exercise will help you to process your experiences more mindfully and consciously end the day. If you like, you can write everything down in a diary so you can refer back to it later.

One of the most valuable mindfulness exercises is to practice gratitude. Take a few minutes each day to remind yourself of what you’re grateful for. Write down three things that were positive on a given day, or that made you feel thankful or humbled.

This exercise trains you to be more mindful by shifting your focus to the positive. You will quickly notice how your outlook on daily life and life in general changes.

Gratitude exercises are also great for groups. Try a gratitude exercise with friends or in a meeting where each participant names one thing they’re grateful for. Such mindfulness exercises for groups not only promote your own gratitude, but also encourage positive interaction between people.

Integrating mindfulness into your daily routine doesn’t require any complicated techniques or hours of meditation. It’s often the small, conscious pauses that help us to savour the moment and focus on the present.

By regularly practising mindfulness and gratitude exercises, we can improve our well-being and learn to let go of negative thoughts. Of course, practising mindfulness is a process that takes time and patience – but every little step brings you closer to a more conscious and fulfilling life.

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