Just do it—12 practical ideas to get started. Not really into yoga or silent meditation? No problem—there are a ton of other options to build awareness and change your mind. Below is a laundry list of ideas for building the skill of awareness you can try. Some are unusual, others more well-known, but I encourage you to try out a few and see what works for you. You’ll know it is a fit if (1) you enjoy it enough to sustain the activity as a habit over time and (2) it helps you lose track of time or disconnect from your mind. Remember: awareness is the ability to observe (both the outer and inner world) more curiously and objectively.
(during the next meal—spend the first few bites totally distraction free and focus in on the flavors, textures and scents of your meal)
(take 2 normal breaths, 2 deeper breaths, and 1 extremely deep breath—notice how you feel after)
describing your day so far and intentionally spell every word wrong (notice how it slows you down to focus on each word)
instead of listening to others around you for a few minutes. Notice what’s different than normal.
(there are lots of interesting options on youtube, try this one)
/ “yoga nidra” (try this one)
find a space in your home or outside free from sharp objects, and with bare feet, take 10 extremely slow steps with your eyes closed—focus the soles of your feet—the pressure, feeling and sensations of walking)
and observe how characters interact (personally I love The Office for this)
on youtube, then again on 0.5x speed (notice what each experience is like)
(if you’re at home—then walk backwards to your home office, notice what’s different and what’s the same)
(put a pebble in your shoe and take a short walk—notice what happens)
(this is a fascinating trend which involves recorded sounds to stimulate relaxation—learn more)
That’s great. Now try making it a habit. At first reserve 5 minutes a few set days per week, and really enjoy your new activity. Avoid the temptation to jump all the way into doing it every day. instead get down a few set days first, then gradually increase to 5 times per week, and build towards every day. Consistency is the most critical ingredient at the start.
Got an awareness building activity down as a habit? First of all—congratulations. (If this isn’t you—keep searching for what will work for you—don’t try to force it!) Now you are in a great position to put your awareness to work for you. Start by noticing things that bother you in daily life. Maybe it’s your Monday morning meeting, or your neighbor’s voice, or the sound of your doorbell. No matter how big or small, just notice when you are bothered. Get practice, because this is the start of revealing your mindset.
