Small Mindful Practices to Shift Your Day

We’ve been working through the month of May with a more mindful approach. This month is notoriously busy, stressful, and full of change. New sports are starting, others are going into their final weeks of the season. School is out and kids are making a transition into ‘summer mode.’ And after everything that’s gone on since COVID began, most of us cannot wait for travel to open and get some time away to relax and rejuvenate.

While I am all on board with getting through this month, if you aren’t able to take a full-blown break, here are some helpful strategies to help make each day more mindful with little to no effort at all. Here’s a list of small, mindful practices you can do in less than 15 minutes that will completely shift your day.

Be Self-Stimulating

We did a deep dive on Instagram about the guilt that’s associated with using caffeine to get yourself going. I go into full detail on how I manage my caffeine levels and how I make great-tasting coffee that doesn’t zap my energy and cause the jitters. We have ALL been guilty of overdoing the caffeine/coffee when we need to be productive. But there is nothing worse than being anxious from your to-do list plus anxious from your coffee! May I introduce @homebodycoffeeco - a clean decaf coffee company! Use code KITCHENSHIFT15 on your next order! My challenge- cut back on the caffeine this month and see what it does for your central nervous system! Plus, if you’re a Kitchen Shift fan, check out this incredible recipe and shop Homebody Coffee Co with 15% off by using code KITCHENSHIFT15.

Surround Yourself with the Right People

This tip is around HOW, WHERE, and WITH WHOM you eat! Research shows sitting down to eat, taking your time, enjoying food with people you love, and feeling happy while doing so ALL improve digestion and overall gut wellness. It’s a constant battle in our busy household but I work hard in my home to have family mealtimes.

Rule number 1: No devices! Just good old-fashioned conversation. Sitting. Relaxing. And enjoying the company and good food.
Today’s challenge!! Eat every meal seated and without your device. Whether you are with others or alone- take note of how you slow down and capture the moment without standing and scrolling through your phone!

Meal Prep

Yes indeed. Planning and preparing your meals out each week is a mindful practice.
It’s a way to:
*Create less waste (mindful!)
*Create less chaos at mealtime (mindful!)
*Allows you to eat less impulsively and get the proper nutrients you need (mindful!)
EVEN planning your flex (aka cheat) meal is a mindful practice. It allows your brain to remove the guilt and shame associated with being “flexible” and allows you to savor those treats.

Reduce (or Remove) Alcohol

I discovered @ritualzeroproof tequila back in March as it was gifted to me for my birthday by a dear friend. I received it shortly before leaving for spring break and it became my “go-to” drink most nights. Trust me- MINDFULLY choosing to not drink alcohol every opportunity you can is the new wellness way.

Ritual has a little peppery bite to it so if spicy margaritas are your thing- you must give this a try!

Guilt-Free Ritual Margarita Recipe

Alcohol is a depressant that can create mood swings and particularly anxiety the next day. Being MINDFUL takes intention- and it can be hard to resist the quick fix in favor of the long-term good. You deserve to feel your best each and every day- and deserve to wake up grounded, centered, and free of anxiety.

I also recently discovered this amazing page of “mindful” mocktails and this grapefruit number is on the top of my list! YUM! 🌱🍊
Find the recipe and more @themindfulmocktail - Grapefruit Thyme Fizz

This gorgeous, refreshing, sparkling mocktail is a beautiful combination of grapefruit and thyme.

Grapefruit is a high nutrient, low-calorie fruit that is packed with antioxidants and Vitamin C, so this recipe is both healthy and delicious!

Taking Mental Inventory

I keep a special, and very powerful, piece of paper folded in my wallet and pull it out sometimes. These are good questions to get you centered and focused back on the stuff that matters. My challenge. Pick one or two of these and answer them. Or sit down tomorrow am with a cup of coffee and write the answers out. Watch your week absolutely S H I F T.

Download and print the list of questions here and practice mindfulness every day.

Finding Mindful in Manic

Full transparency. I sometimes wake up and feel paralyzed by the overwhelm. Whenever I travel for my kid’s sports over the weekend (and get home at 8pm Sunday night) I feel like I enter Monday with one nostril above water. I have struggled in the past with doubling down the overwhelm with guilt that these are 1st world problems. Which makes me feel worse. My guess is you all have done this before too. It’s super unproductive.

Gratitude is the game. Not guilt or shame. My deeper work lately has been shifting my mindset. That there is polarity and give and take in life. An exchange rate so to speak for all we choose. I am working today to give thanks for the real stuff (time with my daughter) - and in exchange- I may suck a little bit at my job today. And the dishes in the sink may hang out there longer than their should. And we might have to order dinner out tonight.

There is a cost to everything we choose. And if chaos is the cost for QT with my girl. Then bring it!
If you are feeling that Monday overwhelm. I see you. PS. These are the days when emotional eating can peak- you try and numb out the overwhelm with food. I GET IT. But trust me. It’s unproductive.

Instead. Work on your breath. Find a quiet moment. Pull your shoulders from your ears. And take 10 deep breathes.

Burn Sage

Did you SAGE something? Sage is a spice that has a long history of use in Egyptian, Roman, and Greek medicine as well as in Native American healing traditions. Burning dried sage is a way to heal, protect, increase wisdom, and boost defenders from disease (it apparently clears bacteria from the air). I love the ritual of it- setting new intentions (for the week, or a particular challenge or mindset) and activating the senses while doing so.

Mindfulness Apps

Let’s chat about meditation apps. I personally need guided meditation at this point in my practice and there are two I use frequently. The first is the @calm app. This is actually a pic of their screen when you open the app. (Calming no? 😌)
They have a daily guided meditation and then you can search by topic or length.
The second app I love is @insighttimer.

Creating a routine with meditation is a way to sharpen a tool that you can use when things get tough. I have been working on this lately and it’s so nice to not be triggered by the small stuff anymore. I used to get so worked up over little things. NOW- when I feel my blood pressure rising or my heart starting to flutter- I pause and connect with my breathe. I hear @tamaralevitt ‘s voice. And I am reminded to get out of my fight or flight reptilian brain and back into a higher place. This is true CALM in chaos.

Mindful Rest

S L E E P 😴😴😴
Improving the quality of my sleep has been an incredible hack for improving my focus and attention the following day.
Sleep deprivation is linked to higher cortisol (stress hormone) release during the day. Cortisol keeps us in a fight or flight state- triggered and rushed and overwhelmed. Not a fun way to exist.

Keep in mind- just because you are in bed and asleep- doesn’t mean you are getting “quality sleep”
Here are a few tips to improving deep quality sleep!
- Keep your room DARK! Consider blackout shades or a sleep mask if you have a lot of windows.
- Keep your room cool! Studies actually show the ideal bedroom temp is around 65°. Brrrr! 🥶 Sleeping in minimal clothing (or none) is also researched to improve deep sleep (your partner will thank me for this tip 😉)
- Minimize noise. Consider noise-reducing shades, a fan, or a white noise machine
- Make your bed the night before- so that you perform “fold-down service” for yourself. This was the craziest and coolest tip I found in my research. A made bed also allows you to crawl into bed and fall asleep more quickly!

Enjoy [Your] Life’s Moments

“Spend less time watching other people live their lives and spend more time enjoying your own”

Personally, this is constant “work in progress” for me. Oh, do I love to scroll 🤭📲.

A gentle reminder. Close your phone today and go play/work/sit/eat with people. We are finally in a place where we can socialize. Let’s ditch the phone and do it!

As we continue using and finding more mindful practices, bookmark this blog post to get the full updated list we created this month.

Xoxo,

Beth

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Thank you so much.