Mindfulness For The Rest Of Us

I went thrifting this weekend and came across this book—Feel It: 100 Ways to Live in the Moment.  It tied in perfectly to this week’s topic so of course I bought it!  Naturally, it talks a lot about existing in the present, otherwise known as mindfulness.  Mindfulness has become this buzzword, showing up in products and trends more than day to day life.  We immediately think of yoga classes and meditation Youtube channels.  I have nothing against these forms of mindfulness, but for my ADHD brain, they just don’t work!  So here is a list of some more neurodivergent-friendly options:

1. Music Immersion: Pick a song and listen to it over and over again—during each listen, try to pick out a different piece of the song, such as percussion, base, vocals, etc.
2. ​Color Hunt: Grab some paint samples from a hardware store and go on a walk to match various nature items to your colors.
3. Sound Sorting: Inside or outside, sit and see how many different sounds you can identify—birds chirping, plane taking off, background conversations, appliances running.
4. Temperature Switch-Up: Inhale a warm smell (cocoa or cinnamon), and then a cool one (mint or eucalyptus).  Notice the difference in your body between the two!  You can also try this one with taste, switching between spicy to cold foods.
5. Water Break: Or as I called it when I was a kid, “playing cups”!  Set up in the sink with various cup and bowl sizes.  Dump water from place to place, feeling it rinse across your hands.

Mindfulness isn’t about perfection or constant calm, it’s about awareness.  When your mind wanders, acknowledge it and gently bring it back.  Each time you do, you are strengthening that muscle.  No matter how mindfulness looks to you, even if it looks different than other people’s, it counts.  Everyday mindfulness is about creating small pauses to help you feel grounded in the middle of a busy life!