Mini Mindfulness

Five Senses

This 3-5 minute mini mindfulness exercise can easily be done anywhere, anytime, and likely without anyone noticing you are doing it. It is an easy way to ground yourself more fully in the present moment, revitalize your wakefulness or attention, or simply stay engaged in the task at hand. Look around you and notice five things that you can see… for instance, in this moment I can see my laptop, a cushion, my cat, a book, and some trees.

Now, notice four things around you that you can hear. I notice the sounds of a fan, my fingers typing along the keyboard, my cat purring, and footsteps in the apartment above me. Now, pause to observe three things that you can feel or touch. For instance, I can feel the smoothness of the keyboard on my laptop, the softness of the cushion beneath me, and the weight of a blanket around my shoulders. Now, observe two things that you can smell. I can smell the scent of some spearmint lotion on my hands and the smell of the remainder of my lunch on the table beside me. Now, pause to see if there is one thing you can taste in the present moment. For me, can still taste a bit of kombucha that I recently sipped.

This mini mindfulness exercise is a fun, simple way to become more attuned to your sensory experiences in the present moment and perhaps become aware that there is more to observe and experience within each passing moment than you might believe there to be upon a cursory glance. This can also serve to increase your sense of gratitude for the richness inherent in each present moment.

The Importance of Practice

I am confident that you can engage in the new habit of practicing mindfulness for a few minutes each day, for the next two weeks. As with any new habit that you wish to develop, remember to make the new behavior as simple as possible to accomplish. For some people, this means setting a reminder on their phones at a specific time each day, for others this means placing a visual reminder to practice mindfulness in a location they see or interact with on a daily basis. The idea is to figure out what works best for you, and to follow through on your personal commitment to practice.

Laura K. Schenck, Ph.D., LPC. Find more practices at:

https://www.mindfulnessmuse.com/mindfulness-exercises/3-mini-mindfulness-exercises-for-stress-relief