Mindfulness for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide

What is mindfulness? It’s the intentional practice of slowing down, expressing gratitude, and being present in the moment. 

A  licensed counselor who has completed studies like a master in counseling psychology online will tell you that practicing mindfulness could hold the key to fostering better mental health, a more positive emotional state, and greater holistic well-being. 

Admittedly, with our busy, action-packed lives, mindfulness is an art that takes effort to cultivate. But if you’re keen to learn more about practicing mindfulness, stay with us as we take you through the steps. 

Step 1. Slow Down Your Breathing 

The first step to practicing mindfulness? Learn to focus on your breathing. Consider attending a guided breathwork class to help you do this. The benefits of breathwork are well documented. These include, for example:

 

• Cultivating a state of relaxation.
• Regulating and reducing negative emotions.
• Enhancing our ability to focus and concentrate.
• The potential to reduce stress, avert low moods, and reduce the risk of developing mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

 

But what are the main principles of breathwork? That is to say, how do you practice mindful breathing? Some strategies include slow breathing exercises such as, for example:

Box Breathing 

Also known as square breathing, this technique involves practicing four steps that last four seconds each – inhale for four counts, hold your breath for four counts, exhale for four counts, and then hold your breath for four counts again. Utilizing this method will slow your breathing right down.

478 Breathing 

Slightly more complicated than box or square breathing, the 478 technique requires the individual to breathe in and out of their nose – inhaling for 4 counts, holding the breath for 7 counts, and exhaling for 8. This technique enhances our concentration and focus by centering in on the breath.

Step 2. Be Present in the Moment

A large component of mindfulness is being present in the moment. The art of being present can also be likened to the concept of ‘intentional’ living. 

Also known as the slow living movement, living intentionally means being consciously present in everything we do. Rather than haphazardly and absent-mindedly rushing through our daily tasks, intentional living calls on our ability to take pleasure in the small moments. The best part? Doing this also enables us to identify the ‘glimmers’ in our day.

Step 3. Actively Pay Attention to Your Surroundings

How often have you busily rushed around running errands without actually observing what’s going on around you? Taking time to notice and pay attention to our surroundings is another aspect of mindfulness.

 

The truth? You may even surprise yourself, and notice things you had completely overlooked in the past. The pink roses lining your neighbor’s fence. A funny billboard off to the side of the road. A passerby smiling at you as you walk past them. Slowing down and paying attention to these moments will help you become more present and more mindful overall.

Step 4. Express Gratitude for Your Blessings

The pairing of gratitude and mindfulness is a match made in heaven. Why? They go hand in hand. While mindfulness allows us to be present, take notice, and pay attention to what’s happening around us, gratitude enables us to see these things in a positive light. 

 

Expressing gratitude is not as easy as it sounds, however. Yes, due to our innate negative bias, humans are programmed to see things from a less-than-rosy perspective. The good news? Purposeful, intentional gratitude gives us the ability to turn this around. 

 

Of course, this requires us to actively cultivate our gratitude and train our brains to count our blessings. Gratitude journaling can help with this, as can expressing our gratitude out loud. Try to find 3 positive things you’re grateful for every day, and either write them down or repeat them aloud to yourself. Stuck for ideas? A guided meditation on the theme of gratitude can help get you started.

 

If you ask a mental healthcare expert, they’ll likely tell you that mindfulness holds the key to optimal mental health. By slowing down your breathing, living intentionally, being present, and expressing gratitude, you too can benefit from the advantages of being mindful. 

 

If you want to improve your mental health, following the steps we’ve outlined today will help send you off on your mindfulness journey.