How to be Mindful in May in 2022

May 6th 2022

Practising mindfulness in listening, gratitude and daily chores

Welcome to Mindful in May! Mindful in May is a global campaign that encourages everyone to begin a daily mindfulness practice.

Good mental health is very important to us at Afea, and practicing mindfulness is something we encourage. Every new starter receives our Culture Book that has a section dedicated to self-care and mindfulness. Our Founder Esha Oberoi has also conducted mindfulness workshops with our carers, and we have our own meditation room in the office!

Mindfulness is slowing down and being fully present in the present moment. It helps reduce the noise in our minds and is one way for us to combat the stresses of daily life.

Each person is different, with different abilities and different needs. So make mindfulness personal to you. What is that one activity that helps centre and calm you? Meditation? Walking? Listening to music?

Mindfulness is not a miracle cure, but it can be a powerful tool to assist you in paying attention to your emotional needs and to the world around us. Whatever it is that gets you through the tough times, it can be beneficial to do it mindfully and with intention.

Mindfulness has a lot of benefits. It can help:

Reduce stress
Lower anxiety levels
Increase attention and focus
Improve emotional regulation
Improve relationships with others

Let’s have a look at how we can practise mindfulness in our daily lives.

Mindfulness and gratitude

*Practising gratitude has been known to improve overall quality of life*

The uncertainty and anxieties brought by the past two years may have made it more difficult to focus on the things that make us grateful. But practising gratitude has been known to improve mood, sleep and overall quality of life!

Combining gratitude with mindfulness means being more in tune with the things you are thankful for. It also means allowing yourself to accept and feel painful emotions instead of denying them, so you won’t fall in the trap of toxic positivity.

Here’s one gratitude exercise you can try: set aside 5 minutes today to close your eyes and think of the one thing you are grateful for, no matter how small.

And say thank you.

Mindfulness in daily tasks

*You can practise mindfulness even during everyday tasks*

So many things compete for our attention, and oftentimes we find ourselves just rushing from one task to the next. How many times have you gone through your morning as if you were on autopilot? Just because something is “routine” doesn’t mean you can’t do it mindfully.

Pay attention to your breathing as you go about your daily chores
Avoid multi-tasking as you eat – focus completely on your meal and enjoy every spoonful
Pause between tasks and check in with yourself: How am I feeling?

Remember that mindfulness is all about slowing down and savouring every moment!

Mindful listening

Are you a good listener? The demands of modern life sometimes require us to juggle several tasks, and we often find ourselves doing or thinking of something else while someone is talking to us.

The truth is, we won’t be able to absorb someone else’s story if we’re simultaneously writing a to-do list or already thinking of a way to interrupt.

Mindful listening means offering our full attention to someone. Stopping what we’re doing, withholding judgment and taking a moment to reflect on what we’ve heard can help us cultivate a deeper connection with another person.