Wellness 19th May 2025 by Stellar Magazine

5 Easy Ways To Practice Mindfulness This Week

And breathe...

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Every now and then we all need a little reset for when life gets a little too much.

Mindfulness is an activity which involves taking note of what’s happening around you in the present moment.

You might pay attention to your mind, your body, or your surroundings. The aim of mindfulness is to make you feel more calm, to be able to choose how you respond to your thoughts, and to make you more self aware.

Mindfulness originates from meditation and buddhism, but you don’t necessarily have to be spiritual to try it.

Mindfulness is practiced all over the world, every day and can be incorporated into your daily routine, because 2025 is the year of looking after our bodies and being present in the moment!

Here are some simple mindfulness activities to try yourself.

Gratitude list

@ryannemilymiller Replying to @Taylor MacKinnon big things & small things all make the list!! ๐Ÿ’– #gratitude #thejoysoflife #happylist #happiness #grateful #themillerfamily #greenscreen โ™ฌ i can’t help it – JVKE

A gratitude list can be a great idea to kickstart your day and fill it with positivity.

You can start by writing down, or thinking about 3-5 things you’re grateful for, this will really help you focus on the positive things and everything good you have to offer.

Iโ€™ll start: Iโ€™m grateful to be able to catch up on my latest Stellar articles everyday!

Mindful yoga

 

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We all love our yoga and pilates classes, but have you ever tried mindful yoga? Mindful yoga involves being in the present and focusing on your breathing and body sensations.

This also deepens your mind-body connection. Mindful yoga is great for both physical and mental health. I think this is enough convincing for me to buy a new Bound Apparel set and get started!

Get arty

This is one we all like to practice, and can be a fun stress relief. Indulge in some mindfulness colouring books, or start with a blank page and some colours.

The aim isn’t to create a masterpiece, but to be engaging in the present and to notice your movements. Mindfulness art connects the imagination of the body and allows the expression of feelings.

Cloud gazing

@speckledbrownie๐ŸŒฑโ™ฌ Estate – Joao Gilberto

This is a fun and simple mindful activity to do on a cloudy day. First you’re going to want to get outside and find a comfortable spot to sit. From here, all you’re going to do is gaze at the clouds.

Just sit idly and watch as they float around. It’s also helpful to imagine these clouds as problems or tensions and then to watch them float away. By taking a deep breath and focusing your attention on only the sky you are engaging in a form of meditation.

We used to do it as kids, making little shapes out of the clouds, so why did we stop!

A cold plunge or cold shower

Anyone who’s ever had to take a shower after all the hot water is gone is shaking their heads right now but I assure you this is a good one!

Cryotherapy or cold plunging has the power to catapult you out of your thoughts so that you can feel calmer and less stressed. Cold plunging has many physical and mental benefits including; to produce mood boosting hormones, speed up muscle recovery after exercise, improve quality of sleep, and reduce depressive symptoms.

Although my lukewarm shower sometimes feels like a cold plunge, I’d be willing to try this in the name of mindfulness!

Remember, mindfulness is all about anchoring you in the moment and refreshing your mind, and although it is easy to practice mindfulness, it’s hard to get a second to remind yourself to.

Now that we have gained some helpful activities we are free to go forth and conquer the world, but also remember to take a step back to revitalise ourselves now and then too.

Words by Edel Hickey