Whether you’re trying to reduce stress or achieve better emotional well-being, you may be curious about the health benefits of mindful meditation, but reluctant to add another item to your daily to-do list. While dedicated meditative practice takes effort, you can still reap benefits from small doses of meditation. In the time it takes to inhale and exhale, you can focus your attention, reframe your thoughts, and practice gratitude.
Here’s what you don’t need to meditate:
a special cushion
fancy workout clothes
an hour block of time
Here’s what you do need:
the willingness to briefly focus your attention throughout the day.
In this piece, we’ll explore the benefits of microdosing mindfulness and how you can weave the practice into your everyday routine.
Quick Review: What is Mindfulness?
At Mindfulness Strategies, we define mindfulness as “being fully cognizant of yourself (both mentally and physically), your environment, and the present moment.”
Deep down, we’re aware that ruminating on the past or anxiously worrying about the future can leave us spinning our wheels in the present. Simply “moving on” is often easier said than done—we know. But practicing mindfulness is as simple as experiencing and enjoying the “here and now” of where we are rather than pining for (or worrying about) another time or place.
Between work responsibilities and family obligations, blocking off a significant part of your day to embrace the present may be unrealistic, and perhaps even the thought of another commitment is anxiety-provoking. It is for this precise reason that microdosing mindfulness can be so helpful.
Microdosing Mindfulness
Although the term “microdosing” may bring to mind a method of psychedelic drug use, we’re actually referring to the act of focusing your attention for brief periods of time. Think of it as the CliffsNotes version of an hour-long meditation session, wherein much of the peace and calm you’d get from a longer meditation session in a more condensed, perhaps more practical, period due to daily time constraints. Yet it’s still proven to have benefits.
A UC Berkeley study of 12 chronic pain patients found that learning microdosing mindfulness techniques led to a decrease in pain symptoms. Eleven of the participants reported less depression and anxiety, a feeling of connection to others, and a greater sense of happiness, generosity, and gratitude.
Simply put: A little is certainly better than none when it comes to working even the smallest doses of mindfulness into your day-to-day.
What Are the Benefits of Mindful Meditation?
Studies have shown that creating mindfulness through meditation can affect positive psychological changes, including reduced emotional reactivity and an increased feeling of well-being. More specifically, benefits of mindfulness include:
Reduced anxiety
Reduced body aches
Reduced emotional reactivity
Reduced feelings of loneliness
Reduced rumination
Reduced stress
Improved cognitive flexibility
Improved emotional intelligence
Improved focus
Improved productivity
Improved relationship satisfaction
Improved working memory
The Root of Microdose Mindfulness: A Deep Breath and Focused Attention
To experience mindfulness in a microdose, simply take a deep breath and then slowly exhale. Take roughly twice as long to exhale as you took to inhale.
When you exhale for longer than you inhale, it causes your vagus nerve to signal your brain to turn down your sympathetic nervous system. This lowers your body’s fight-or-flight response.
A 2018 review of a wide range of studies by Roderik Gerritsen and Guido Band of Leiden University in the Netherlands found that deep inhalations followed by longer exhalations reduced subjects’ stress levels. They theorized that this type of breathing pattern explains why practices such as yoga and meditation calm our minds.
As you breathe, pay attention to something in your current environment that you appreciate or value. It could be the feeling of grass under your bare feet, the sound of trees rustling in the wind, or the softness of a pet’s fur.
Other Ways to Practice Mindfulness Microdosing
Taking what we know about meditation, mindfulness, and deep breathing, how can you incorporate them into your daily habits? Here are some suggestions to mindfully microdose throughout your day:
Savor Your Coffee
Before you take the first sip, inhale your coffee’s deep aroma. Pause to appreciate the cup’s warmth in your hand. Note the depth of the taste of the coffee in your mouth.
2. Cook Consciously
As you create a meal, note the weight and aroma of each ingredient. Be aware of the heat from the stove. Notice how the utensil feels in your hand as you stir and cook. As you thoughtfully spoon the meal onto your plate, be aware of the nourishment it will provide and the gift it is.
3. Shower With Intention
A hot shower can be soothing, but how often do we hop in and out without really experiencing the moment?
Instead, notice how the water feels on your body. Think about how the soap smells and how the suds in your hand feel. Listen to the water’s sound hitting the shower floor, and feel the texture of your towel as you dry off.
4. Be Present When Others Speak
When people speak to you, give them your undivided attention. Set down your phone, or better yet, leave it in another room. Look them in the eye. Instead of formulating your response as they speak, listen to every word carefully.
Use Mindful Tactics to Create Calm
Simple changes throughout the day, such as deep breathing and deliberate focus, can reduce stress and make us more attuned to the present. These techniques can center us and help us regain our focus. If you’d like to learn more about microdosing mindfulness, contact Mindfulness Strategies today.