Take Control of Your Mental Wellbeing with these Mindfulness Exercises

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In a world that moves at lightning speed, where distractions are constant and stress is a daily companion, mindfulness offers a powerful antidote. It’s not just a buzzword or a fleeting trend – it’s a scientifically backed practice that can transform your mental, emotional, and even physical wellbeing.

But what exactly is mindfulness, and how can you incorporate it into your life? This blog will explore the essence of mindfulness, its benefits, and practical ways to make it a part of your everyday routine.

What is mindfulness?

In the landmark guide to Mindfulness Meditation, Full Catastrophe Living, Jon Kabat-Zinn describes mindfulness as the practice of "paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally.” It means being aware of where you are, what you’re doing, and how you’re feeling, without being overwhelmed by what’s going on around you.

Rooted in ancient Buddhist traditions, mindfulness has been embraced by modern psychology as a powerful tool for managing stress, anxiety, depression and more. It’s about cultivating a state of awareness that allows you to respond to life with clarity and calm, rather than reacting impulsively.

The benefits of mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness regularly can lead to a wide range of benefits:

• Reduced stress and anxiety

• Improved focus and concentration

• Enhanced emotional regulation

• Better sleep quality

• Increased self-awareness

• Greater compassion and empathy

• Lower blood pressure and improved heart health

Scientific studies have shown that mindfulness can even change the structure of the brain by promoting the production of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF). An increase in BDNF is associated with augmented neuronal density and enhanced learning, memory retention and improved emotional regulation.

Mindfulness has been shown to positively impact not just our psychological wellbeing but also our physical health. As part of my doctoral thesis, I investigated the efficacy of an 8-week mindfulness and compassion intervention on improving physiological measures of a mixed population group. To cut a 5-year-long study short, my research showed a statistically significant improvement across a range of physiological biomarkers. Over 75% of the participants exhibited improvements in resting heart rate, stress levels (self-reported) and blood pressure. Recent research has since strengthened these findings.

Practice mindfulness with these 10 practical techniques

Now that you have a good understanding of the mindfulness method and have reviewed a range of positive health outcomes, you know doubt want to dive into the exercise. Well, as promised, below you will find ten accessible ways to bring more mindfulness into your daily life. Enjoy!

Mindfulness exercises #1: Start with the breath

Your breath is always with you, making it a perfect anchor for mindfulness. According to James Nestor, author of Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, in addition to providing us with a point of focusing our mind, improving our breathing technique – what’s referred to as ‘diaphragmic’ breathing – can ‘restore healthy sleep patterns, minimise snoring, halt allergies’ and even attenuate ‘autoimmune disorders.’

Try this exercise

Take a few minutes each day to sit quietly and focus on your breathing. During mindful breathing practice, aim to notice the sensation of air entering and leaving your nostrils, the rise and fall of your chest. When your mind wanders (and it inevitably will), gently bring your attention back to the breath. William James, in his magnum opus, The Principles of Psychology, referred to this a form of cognitive training that, over time, will improve your mindfulness practice and enhance your mental focus.

Mindfulness exercises #2: Practice mindful eating

Eating is often rushed or done while multitasking. Micheal Pollen, in his book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, laments that the vast majority of people in the west consume meals while at the wheel. Mindful eating transforms what form many is means of ‘taking on board energy’ into a nourishing experience. Which is what eating should be!

Try this exercise

Eat one meal a day without distractions. Pay attention to the colours, textures, and flavours of your food. Chew slowly. Notice how your body feels before, during, and after eating.

Mindfulness exercises #3: Body scan

A body scan helps you interface with physical sensations and release built up tension. This mindfulness exercise is also helpful for strengthening the mind-body connection, which may improve proprioception and enhance one’s phenomenological experience. A key attribute of the body scan, like many mindfulness exercises, is that it requires no equipment and can be conducted anywhere and anytime. For example, though the body scan is generally performed lying down on a soft surface (such as a Yoga mat), you can implement this technique when seated at a desk, standing in a queue, or while in any other sedentary state that requires minimal concentration.

Try this exercise

Lie down or sit comfortably. Starting from your toes, slowly move your attention up through your body, noticing any sensations, tightness, or discomfort. Breathe into each area as you go.

Mindfulness exercises #4: Take mindful walks

In addition to improving your physical health (studies have shown that a mere 30 minutes of daily walking can decrease disease risk factor and enhance longevity), walking is widely recognised as a relaxing, meditative activity. Because of this, walking can be used as a mindfulness exercise. While it’s optimal to walk in quiet calming spaces, such as the countryside or a forest, for urbanites and city dwellers that might not be possible – not a daily basis at least. But that’s fine. Mindful walks can be enjoyed pretty much anywhere; a local park, around your local area or on the way to work. The primary prequisite to mindful walking is that you focus on the movements of the body. You can also incorporate choiceless awareness exercises into your walks. This is where you focus on the sounds of your surroundings.

Try this exercise

Walk slowly and deliberately. Feel your feet touching the ground. Notice the rhythm of your steps, the sounds around you, the temperature of the air. Let go of thoughts and just walk.

Mindfulness exercises #5: Use mindfulness bells or reminders

The mind is like a wandering wild horse at the helm of wooden cart – that we so happen to be a passenger in. Its strength cannot be matched and thus any attempt to overpower it is an act of futility. With that said, when our mind pulls in a different direction or digresses down the wrong path, we should respond with subtle methods to steer it back on track. Below you’ll find a kitbag of simple techniques that’ll put you in the driver’s seat.

Try these exercises

Set a gentle alarm (waves lapping on the beach or whales singing) to sound every 30 to 60 seconds. For those who are technologically savvy, consider downloading a mindfulness app. Such apps come replete with settings that will remind you take a few conscious breaths during your practice session. They can also be set to notify you periodically throughout the day to engage in a prespecified mindfulness exercise – such as choiceless awareness, deep breathing, or a body scan. But if you’d prefer a more traditional method, try using a Tibetan singing bowl. Cupping the bowl in the palm of your hand, strike it clean and crips on the side with the wooden gong. Attune your ears to the Himalayan hum as the soft soothing soundwaves shimmer in the void.

Mindfulness exercises #6: Practice gratitude

Like self-compassion, expressing gratitude is often regarded as a form of weakness. But, like exercising self-compassion, the converse is true: it takes strength and courage to be grateful for what we have. And because most people’s mind is typically suffused in a pall of negativity, it can act as a much-needed breath of fresh air to focus on something positive for a change. As Richard Carlson observes in his book, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff, 'gratitude and inner peace go hand in hand.'

Try this exercise

Each evening, before tucking up for the night, write down three things in your gratitude journal that you’re grateful for. Reflect on why they matter to you and how they made you feel. Remember, the things to be grateful for do not have to be life-altering changes in circumstances. Usually, it’s the small things that matter most. When I conducted this exercise as part of a group coaching session, where I asked participants to write down on a sticky note one thing they were grateful for, most members wrote things like ‘my partner,’ ‘being healthy,’ ‘having central heating’ (it was January) and ‘having food in the fridge.’ What we notice here is that the things we are most grateful for are generally taken for granted. (Coincidentally, they comprise the foundational stones of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs). This should be uplifting because, what it tells us is that many of us have a lot to be grateful for. Now all that’s required is to reflect on the fact.

Mindfulness exercises #7: Mindful listening

We often listen to reply, not to understand. Mindful listening deepens our connection to people and the surrounding environment. This form of practice is extremely versatile and offers a dynamic dimension in which to be more mindful. You can engage in mindful listening during a conversation with family, friends or coworkers. The objective is always to listen as intently and purposefully as possible. Interruptions should be kept to a minimum. Other opportunities to sharpen your listen skills is when you’re out for a forest walk. Turn off the phone and tune your auditory attention to the cacophonical sounds of nature – the perennial orchestra.

Try this exercise

Next time you’re in a conversation, give the other person your full attention. Notice their tone, body language and emotions. Resist the urge to interrupt or plan your response. If you find that you are losing the thread of their intended meaning, seek clarification by rephrasing what they have said.

Mindfulness exercises #8: Label thoughts and emotions

I persistent and widely misunderstood belief about mindfulness is that the aim is to ‘block out,’ ‘supress’ or ‘silence’ thoughts – specifically self-critical thoughts. Sadly, this belief has resulted in many people turning their backs on mindfulness because, invariably, they found that their mind cannot be silenced. Thus, they assumed that mindfulness had failed them or that the benefits have been overhyped. Let me state for the record, the objective of mindfulness is not to silence the mind. As described by the man credited for introducing it to the west, John Kabat-Zinn, the purpose of mindfulness meditation ‘is to cultivate self-understanding, wisdom, and to live a more full and meaningful life by being fully present in each moment,’ (Full Catastrophe Living).

One such way to obtain this lofty ideal is to label thoughts and emotions as opposed to trying to shut them out. Here’s the method.

Try this exercise

When a thought or emotion arises, simply label it: “thinking,” “worrying,” “planning,” “anger,” “joy” or, if you’re of a neurological bent, “an arbitrary cascade of action potential in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.”  This helps create distance and reduces reactivity. One Buddhist monk says that he playfully jokes with his negative thoughts. (Take note: even Buddhist monks have negative thoughts!) When they pop up from out of the subconscious either, instead of ushering them back and slamming the conscious door shut, he says hello to them, invites them in and asks them how their day is going.

Mindfulness exercises #9: Create a mindful morning routine

How you start your day sets the tone for everything that follows. As the saying goes, start as you mean to go on. My morning begins with a gentle 30-minute walk/jog. I then dedicate 5- to 10-minutes engaged in a gentle breathing meditation (as described above). Now feeling a lot more mindful, I enjoy a healthy breakfast before greeting my first client. 

Try this exercise

Begin your day with a few minutes of silence, deep breathing, or gratitude journaling. Avoid jumping straight into emails or social media. Perhaps wake a little earlier and enjoy a gentle stroll before engaging in mindfulness exercises. Aerobic activity will help to reinvigorate your body and mind making you feel mentally sharper and ready to start the day.

Mindfulness exercises #10: Be kind to yourself

Mindfulness includes self-compassion. Contrary to common misunderstanding, self-compassion is not some fluffy new age fad. The sages of old instructed their students to be kinder to themselves for they understood that the mind is often critical, self-defeating and prone to comparison. Such mental states serve to undermine self-confidence and, to be quite honest, can make life pretty unpleasant. As Paul Gilbert observes in his book, The Compassionate Mind, practicing self-compassion teaches us to cultivate a kinder inner voice that sooths as opposed to sabotages. At the route of this therapeutic intervention is the recognition that we are not perfect – but that’s okay.

On a side note, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that there is a substantial body of empirical research underpinning the benefits of kindness and self-compassion. Studies conducted by positive psychologist, Barbara Fredrickson, founder of the broaden-and-build model, show that cultivating a kind, compassionate and optimistic disposition (infused with a whole lot of LOVE) can confer the following advantages:

• Relieve depression and improve mood

• Broaden the mind and opens our perspective to new possibilities

• Enable us to bounce back from setbacks

• Enhance our interpersonal relationships

Try this exercise

When you notice self-criticism, perhaps after you made a mistake, pause and ask: “What would I say to a friend in this situation?” Offer yourself the same kindness and understanding. Another technique involves reminding yourself of three to five positive aspects of your character. Here are some examples:

1. I’m a good person who cares for others

2. I’m honest and I stick to my values

3. I help people in need

4. I’m doing the best I can with what I’ve got

5. Even the Buddha said that perfection was unobtainable!

Bonus mindfulness exercises: Colouring and creative expression

Sometimes when a client is overwhelmed or is struggling to manage their emotions, I ask them if they’d like to try mindful colouring. The typical response is, Did you say mindful colouring? At which point I present them with my mindful colouring book and pack of colouring pencils. The next response is a mix of apprehension and incredulity. Colouring is for children – right? I don’t want to look childish. And how’s colouring going to alleviate my current emotional turmoil? After asking them to put their preconceptions to one side, I encourage them to try for five minutes. To this day, not one client has said that they didn’t feel better afterwards. Often, they become so absorbed in the creative endeavour that I must bring them back to the room.

But I’ve not happened upon a radical revelation. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of Flow: The Psychology of Happiness, recognised that when we engage in creative activities – art, colouring, music – we enter what he termed the ‘flow state.’ A positive psychologist, Csikszentmihalyi demonstrated through a multitude of studies that ‘flow’ or ‘deep engagement’ can foster wellbeing while improving mental focus. Furthermore, participating in ‘enriching experiences’ is a key element to flourishing in life.

Try this exercise

If like me you were a straight F- student in art, purchase a mindful colouring book and a set of rainbow pencils (don’t forget a sharpener). The helpful thing about mindful colouring books is that your artistic endeavours are ‘guided’ by the lines. So, all you need to do is pick a colour and scribble. Honestly, hours of fun. Other forms of creative mindful expression include practicing a musical instrument, sketching, drawing, writing and painting. If you’d prefer more physical forms of expression, consider trying Yoga or Tai Chi.

Overcoming common challenges

Mindfulness is simple, but it's not always easy to squeeze in a practice session. Here are some common obstacles and how to navigate them:

“I don’t have time.”

Start small. Even one mindful breath is a step in the right direction.

“My mind won’t stop racing.”

That’s perfectly normal and something even seasoned meditators experience. Remember, the goal isn’t to stop thoughts but to notice them without forming judgement.

“I forget to be mindful.”

Use visual cues (like a sticky note) or digital reminders to prompt mindfulness exercises. The key to being more mindful is to habituate one simple practice session into your daily routine. Try a body scan every night before going to bed.

“I’m not doing it right.”

There’s no perfect way to be mindful and we all most find what works best for us. Every moment of awareness counts.

Mindfulness in everyday fife

Mindfulness isn’t limited to meditation cushions or yoga mats. You can practice it:

• While brushing your teeth

• During your commute

• In meetings or lectures

• While doing chores

• When waiting in line

• Whie doing these grounding techniques.

The key is to bring your full attention to whatever you’re doing, without judgment and, most crucially, not to put pressure on yourself.

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Final thoughts

Mindfulness is a lifelong journey, not a destination. It’s about showing up for your life – moment by moment – with openness and curiosity. Whether you’re seeking calm, clarity, or connection, mindfulness offers a path to greater well-being and presence.

Start where you are. Breathe. Notice. Be kind to yourself. And remember: every moment is an opportunity to begin again.

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About Dr Laura Allen –

A Chartered Psychologist & Integrative Therapist, Dr. Allen specialises in a broad range of therapeutic methods. She is a published author of numerous research papers in the field of Positive Psychology. Dr. Allen works one-to-one with clients and supervises other practitioners. She is also a proud member of the British Psychological Society assessment team supporting psychologists in training.