If you feel like life has become more complex, you’re not alone.  Whether it’s politics, parenting, integrating personal and work life, or trying to find contentment; life feels challenging.  On top of that, there is an overload of information on how to find happiness and ways to do everything “right.”  Everything seems like a problem that must be solved and solved as quickly as possible.  Despite the constant stream of technology meant to make life easier; we are often making things harder than they need to be.  We’ve all found ourselves spending more time trying to get the remote to work than the time it would take to get up and turn the tv on.

When things feel overwhelming, we may be the biggest culprits.  This week, see if you can spend time practicing mindfulness to the simple things.

To Practice Mindfulness:

• Bring your attention to one thing such as a simple task.
• Accept that your mind will wander. When it does, gently bring it back to the present moment.
• It may help to gently narrate what you are doing. For example, if you are being mindful to your breath, you would silently repeat, “breathing in, breathing out.”
• Again. And again.  Without judgement.

Examples of simple things to be mindful to:

• Folding laundry
• Cutting/arranging flowers
• Drying/washing dishes
• Walking from one room to another
• Getting the mail
• Boiling water
• Making the bed
• Buttoning a shirt
• Wiping down the counter

The list is endless, yet we mindlessly go through the motions every day.  Enjoy some simplicity this week!

Mindful moments are short practices to be used throughout your week to relax, integrate and center yourself.  Inspired by the wisdom traditions and science, mindful moments are meant to be accessible and simple enough for anyone to practice.  Many teachers and leaders in integrative medicine have influenced our approach to mindful moments. Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.”  Pema Chodron would say it is “practicing in the gaps.”  Look for the weekly mindful moment every Monday.  May it support you in finding your center to live life to the fullest.