5 Ways to Practice Mindfulness in Your Everyday Life

Nikole Stewart |

Updated: Jan 16, 2025

While it’s true that the wellness world has stressed the need to practice mindfulness, it’s not a new trend. In fact, it’s actually an ancient tradition from the Eastern world.

The process of practicing mindfulness is being present at the moment and experiencing your surroundings, thoughts, and sensations without judgment. And beyond spirituality, there are many benefits to practicing mindfulness. The practice is known to reduce rumination, alleviate stress, and boost working memory, according to the American Psychological Association¹.

Wondering how to practice mindfulness to break the habit of worry, doubt, and tension? Start small with microdoses of mindfulness meditation. Similar to training physically, it’s important to practice in small doses to learn the habit.

The best way to learn a new skill is to learn from the experts — and then to jump in and learn from doing. Here are some tips and inspiration from the experts on how to begin to practice mindfulness in your life.

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1. Designate Phone-Free Zones and Situations

Phone Practice Mindfulness, Unsplash — Credit: Unsplash

“One way to promote [mindfulness] is to establish phone-free spaces and conditions, and we recommend doing so in the places that matter most,” says Sarah Vaynerman, CEO of Work From Om®, a company that brings mindfulness, meditation, and yoga into the workplace.

“Perhaps you can leave your phone at home during your daily jog, designate a no-phones rule for a weekly meeting at work, or agree that dinners with your partner/kids/best friend are phone-free situations. When we make the effort to eliminate distractions from life’s precious moments, we are able to experience them more fully and improve relationships with others, our work, and ourselves.”

2. Bring Mindfulness Into Your Routine

Chores Practice Mindfulness, Unsplash — Credit: Unsplash

Believe it or not, you can even be mindful while doing routine chores. Including mindfulness in your everyday routine helps make it a habit.

“The more you can bring mindfulness into your routine, the more powerful,” says Rebecca Shisler Marshall, Ph.D., a researcher and teacher of mindfulness. “Washing the dishes, driving, and brushing your teeth are all vehicles for everyday mindfulness. Bring your full attention to the sensations (the soap bubbles, the steering wheel, etc) and come back to being in your body.”

3. Mindful Communication

Communication Practice Mindfulness, Unsplash — Credit: Unsplash

Too often when interacting with our fellow humans we are not intentionally communicating. Instead, we focus on other things like what we’ll say next.

Miriam Amselem from Naturally Healthy By Miri suggests, “When speaking with someone face to face, take a moment to look at their eyes and truly listen without planning the next sentence in your mind. I like to call that a mindful connection.”

4. Write It Down

Journal Practice Mindfulness, Unsplash — Credit: Unsplash

Maria Ramos-Chertok, the author of The Butterfly Series: Fifty-two Weeks of Inquiries for Transformation, recommends, “One way to bring mindfulness into your life is to do a daily inquiry: a question that you focus on throughout the day. You can journal your responses or simply do a mental reflection.”

5. Pay Attention to Your Senses

Senses Practice Mindfulness, Unsplash — Credit: Unsplash

Karly Hoffman King is a mental health counselor based in Ohio. She suggests using this technique as a tool to develop mindfulness.

King recommends grounding, a technique achieved by bringing awareness to all five senses. “Something I regularly recommend to clients: notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things that you feel, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.”