5 Simple Mindfulness Exercises to Try Tonight
Easy Mindfulness Exercise You Can Start Tonight
It’s been a long day, so now that you are done with dinner, cleaning up, and prepping for the next day…
Let’s set the mindfulness mood.
Get ready to dim the lights, light the candles, be in silence, turn off your brain from the constant chatter, and sit on your oversized floor pillow because we are here to practice an evening of mindfulness.
You’ve got to be kidding right?!?
At least this is the picture I one time imagined in my head when I heard someone talk about mindfulness.
In reality…not so much…or at the very least it doesn’t have to look that way but more on that below.
Mindfulness is becoming more popular and catching on in the mainstream. No longer is it simply a “yoga thing” or therapy jargon.
In this blog, I’m sharing with you mindfulness exercises you can start practicing tonight!
I am a therapist in Wilmington, NC, and specialize in therapy for anxious high-achieving women. I provide anxiety treatment for the go-getter, as well as treatment for perfectionism and burnout counseling.
I use mindfulness in online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for high achieving women in North Carolina and Maryland.
Ready to start therapy with me? Click the button below to schedule your free 15-minute consultation on the date and time of your choice.
By the end of this, you will know some easy mindfulness exercises you can start practicing tonight.
Easy Mindfulness Exercises You Can Do Tonight
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is about noticing without judgment. It is about accepting what is happening in the present moment because that is what you are experiencing in the here and now. It is about allowing those things to be there without avoiding or changing
Mindfulness can be incorporated into almost anything and listed below are 5 easy mindfulness exercises you can start trying tonight
Mindful Exercise #1: Mindful Listening
Easily one of my favorite mindfulness exercises to practice for myself but also to use with clients is listening to music. You can try this exercise with music you are familiar with or not.
As you are listening try picking out different instruments you might hear. Music can be really powerful, so I would invite you to notice the thoughts and feelings that might be shown up too.
Mindful Exercise #2: Notice Your Breathing
Take a moment and just pay attention to your breathing. It doesn’t even need to be an actual breathing exercise. Try pausing briefly and recognizing your breathing patterns. Notice your chest rising and falling or focus your attention on the breath coming out of your nose and what that sensation feels like.
Mindful Exercise #3: Body Scan
This might be the exercise I encourage the most throughout the whole treatment process. We go about our days most often operating on autopilot and rarely really stop to check in and see what is going on with ourselves.
Try starting at the top of your head and going all the way down to your toes and checking in with yourself as you go.
Notice feelings or physical sensations that are showing up. Notice thoughts that may be showing up as well.
Mindful Exercise #4: Coloring
I know the adult coloring craze hit a few years ago but it can be a great tool to practice some mindful moments.
Focus your attention as your marker, pencil, crayon makes the strokes on the paper. While not the intention of mindfulness, coloring can also evoke a sense of relaxation.
Mindful Exercise #5: Gentle Stretching
Moving your body is an awesome way of practicing some mindfulness and doing some gentle stretches in the evening before bed can also be a great addition to your bedtime routine.
Often we don’t spend enough time checking in with our body even when it might be trying to tell us something.
Living life on autopilot, we don’t realize how much tension, pain, hunger cues, or emotions our body is experiencing.
Try a mindful body scan before and after some light and gentle stretching. Take notice of how your body feels before and after.
Being more attuned to your body, being present in the here and now, and allowing things such as thoughts and feelings to show up without trying to avoid them, can allow you to live your life in a richer and fuller way.
Remember any of these exercises are things you can start practicing almost immediately and there is no time limit. If you choose to practice, I would encourage starting in small amounts of time such as 30 seconds or a minute and building up from there.
Start Mindfulness Therapy in Wilmington, NC at Calm Waters Counseling
Life is busy and you never thought you would have the time or energy to practice mindfulness, especially after a long day.
Thankfully a mindfulness practice can be informal and take less than 5 minutes of your evening all while still giving you great benefits.
I use mindfulness for anxiety therapy and while working through other issues brought into the therapy room.
At Calm Waters Counseling, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is the treatment approach most utilized for anxiety treatment.
Mindfulness is also one of the major key parts of the ACT.
Learn more about ACT for anxiety therapy and how it can be helpful for you.
Get started in therapy at Calm Waters Counseling by following these 4 simple steps:
Click the button below to schedule your free 15-minute consultation
Complete the brief questionnaire sent to your email before the consultation
Meet with your anxiety therapist
Start living your life with less anxiety and feeling more in control
Therapy for Anxious High-Achiever in Wilmington, NC at Calm Waters Counseling
Check out my Wilmington, NC counseling practice and learn more about me as your new therapist!
Anxious high-achieving women most often encounter more than just anxiety. Check out some of these additional services offered at Calm Waters Counseling.
Anxiety Therapy in Wilmington, NC
Burnout Counseling in Wilmington, NC
Treatment for Perfectionism in Maryland
Therapy for Imposter Syndrome in Wilmington, NC
Online Therapy for Anxiety in North Carolina
Online therapy works well for the go-getter that has a lot going on in their life. Most importantly online therapy has a lot of benefits, can be flexible to your needs and online therapy is effective.
Most recently, online therapy has become more of the norm even with in-person therapy returning. Using online therapy with ACT is possible and there isn’t much difference from sitting in a therapy office.
Learn more about receiving online therapy services with Calm Waters Counseling in the state where you live.
online anxiety therapy in North Carolina
online anxiety therapy Maryland
Still, have questions? Click the buttons below to get some answers!
Written by: Laura Rippeon, LCSW, LCSW-C
Updated 3/16/23