Hello. Welcome to our mindfulness guide. We live in times when a lot of things are fighting for our attention. Billboards, commercials everywhere, notifications on smartphones… It’s hard to find a quiet moment. In this recording we will present some exercises that will help you every time you need to practise mindfulness, so when you’re feeling overwhelmed or distracted, or when you just want to be more focused on the present, without any distractions. Let’s start!

The first exercise that can help you appreciate the present moment is very easy. All you need is some food or drink: chocolate, a raisin, something to drink. What do you have to do? Just stop and focus on the object you’re about to eat or drink. What does that mean? Smell it, touch it, taste it. Remember to do it slowly! Eating or drinking should be the only thing that you’re doing and thinking of. Sounds strange? Try it and you’ll see that it’s the perfect exercise to be focused on the present.

If there are a lot of things going on in your life and you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can try to meditate. Nothing helps to enjoy an undisturbed moment like a moment of mindful meditation. You don’t need anything to do this exercise. You just have to head off to a quiet place and sit comfortably. There are different kinds of meditation, but it’s not just about getting lost in your thoughts, it’s more about focusing on your breath. You can count each breath until you get to 10 and then start again from 1. 

Try it: set the timer for 5 minutes for starters and try to focus only on your breath. 

The last exercise that you can do everywhere is to be mindful of your surroundings. Just look around: your house, your way to school, your room. Try to notice things that you haven’t seen before, focus only on what you can see. How many new things have you discovered?

How do you like the exercises? Well, they have the advantage that you can start right away! Find a quiet place and take a moment for yourself and you will certainly feel better.