daily mindfulness

When I first started using mindfulness, I used Headspace—5 minutes each morning before my 12-hour GP shifts. Most of the time I’d press start, then realize 5 minutes later I’d been thinking about work the entire time. But I kept going. And eventually, a small gap appeared that wasn’t there before.

A year later, the Mindfulness in a Frantic World app had me walk around my neighborhood just noticing. Intricate decorations on houses. Animals watching me back. Life, but with awareness.

Now it shows up everywhere: running, traffic jams, patient consultations, playing piano with my kids. Sometimes it’s there, sometimes it’s not. But I’m moving toward a better state.

Week 7 of our series: You don’t need meditation time. You need to be present for the time you already have. Learn the three anchor activities and transition pauses that close the gap between practice and life.