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Mindfulness on the Go by Padraig O’Morain,

‘The one things that puts more people off trying out mindfulness is that they are convinced that it will take up more time than they can give to it.  They know they are never going to sit and observe their breathing for twenty minutes a day;  indeed, you yourself may even have tried and given up when the business of life got in the way.

In summary, Mindfulness is the practise of returning your attention again and again to what is going on, even if you don’t like it, rather than spending time and energy on a struggle with reality.  Mindfulness does not change reality directly , but it does change your relationship with it.  And in doing that, it changes everything.

Practice – walk for a while with the awareness of movements of your body, perhaps noticing the air against your hands or feet against the ground.  Bring your attention back to your walking when you become distracted.   This is one of the oldest mindfulness practises.  Walk slowly from one office to another, or going up and down the stairs at home to gain some presence of mind in the domestic emotional swirl.

Practice – now and then slow down and pay attention to your actions.  Drinking tea, entering a password, opening a door.

Eating mindfully slows you down, which gives your stomach time to tell your brain you have had enough.

Set your timer to come into mindfulness when an hour has passed.  Once you hear the timer bring your attention to whatever is going on now.  Do this, by for instance, noticing your breathing, the sounds around you and your posture.