“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes…including you.”
– Anne Lamott
Amid the buzz and hubbub of modern life, resolving to be mindful can be daunting. Don’t despair. Mindfulness, or “the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally (as defined by psychologist Jon Kabat-Zinn),” doesn’t have to be like scaling Mount Everest.
A few minutes of mindful activity practiced with some regularity can help boost mood and improve well-being. More importantly, mindfulness is available to anyone, anywhere, anytime. And it can be a lot of fun!
To begin your adventure in mindfulness, check out these nonfiction books for some playful ideas:
Want to spark creativity, incite joy, and focus attention? Try these bite-size mindfulness activities:
NATURE JOURNALING
“There are three prompts you can use in any nature observation to help you or your students get more out of any observation session. These are: I notice, I wonder, and it reminds me of.“
–The Laws guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling by John Muir Laws
MINDFUL SKETCHING
“When you draw without limits or guides, you can make the work your own. You can allow for wobbles and irregular shapes and wonky proportions – and some people’s favorite word: mistakes.”
– Mindful Sketching by Peggy Dean
MINDFUL GARDENING
“So to be a more mindful gardner, we can make a ‘to-do’ list or ‘to-be’ list. We can stick it on the shed wall, and every time we go in for a tool, we can come out with purpose – to prune with compassion, dig with resilience, mow with peace of mind, and rake with clarity.”
– Seeds of Mindfulness by Fiann O’Nuallain
MINDFUL TECH
“To pay attention, to be more mindful or aware, is to be more intimately connected with what is going on within and around us.”
– Mindful Tech by David M. Levy
MINDFUL EATING
“Mindful eating reconnects you with your body’s signals.’
– Eating Mindfully by Susan Albers
MINDFUL MOVEMENT
“If you already have a movement form you enjoy, learning to meditate while you move can refresh, deepen, and renew that movement while opening new doorways of discovery.”
– Make Every Move a Motivation by Nita Sweeney
For a deep dive, consider:
