Bite-Sized Self-Care Challenge Day Six

Mindfulness: day six of the QUALITY BOSS 30-day self-care challenge.

Welcome to day six of the self-care challenge! You can catch up here if needed.

Today’s Bite-Sized Self-Care: Mindfulness

We've covered the simple yet powerful acts of conscious breathing, expressing gratitude, reflecting through journaling, stretching, and embracing fresh air and sunshine. Yesterday, we embraced the outdoors. Today, let's turn our gaze inward to mindfulness–a practice that beautifully complements all these aspects of self-care.

For a long time, when I thought of mindfulness (or meditation) I pictured monks or yogis in austere settings. It didn’t seem like something that was for me. But my understanding has evolved, primarily due to reading Dan Harris’s 10% Happier¹. I've come to realize that mindfulness, and meditation, are tools for everyone. It’s about taking a moment to pause in our fast-paced lives, creating space, and being fully present in the now.

I’ve found that by practicing mindfulness, I’m less anxious, and a little less stressed out by the trials of daily life.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the practice of awareness and acceptance. Being aware of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and the environment around us–observing without judgment or trying to change things.

Today’s Challenge:

Spend a few minutes practicing mindfulness. You don’t need a special time or place. You can simply close your eyes and focus on your breath for a few moments, focus on the physical sensations in your body as you walk, or fully engage in whatever task you’re currently doing.

Personally, I find it helpful to approach mindfulness with a meditation-like mindset. I enjoy finding a quiet spot where I can sit or lie down and close my eyes.

If you’d like a more structured challenge, find a quiet place to sit or lie down. Set a timer for five minutes, and close your eyes. Get curious about what’s going on, both in your body and outside of it. Focus on your breathing, and how your breath feels in your body. Notice your environment, and any smells or sounds. If thoughts or feelings come up, that’s ok. You can use a technique called “noting”, where you notice and acknowledge the thought or feeling, and then let it pass. I like to visualize the thoughts and feelings as clouds that are drifting by. I see them, but I allow them to continue their course and float off into the distance.

Looking forward to hearing about your mindfulness journey,

Brie

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