Welcome to the Wellbeing & Words 30-Day Mindfulness Experience! Mindfulness is a way of being that you can cultivate by regularly doing mindfulness activities. It doesn’t remove problems, but it changes our relationship with those problems–and with ourselves. Being fully present in your moment is a wonderful experience that gives us the power to take back our lives and help us live well despite anxiety, depression, stress, and a multitude of other physical- and mental health challenges. Mindfulness allows you to free yourself from these problems by rooting yourself in what’s going on in your real world rather than in your racing, spinning mind.
These 30 days of mindfulness activities fall in November, a difficult month for many people and one that signals the beginning of several difficult months ahead. May these mindfulness experiences carry you through. Despite the fall theme, however, the exercises themselves can be used year-round. So whenever it is that you are coming to this experience, jump in because the exercises are timeless.
Let go, and be mindfully you!
The 30-Day Mindfulness Experience: How-To
Day One
Mindfulness is about being in the moment, but sometimes a change in perspective makes all the difference. Do this one as-is, or adapt it to your physical needs. Keep it silly, or get more serious. Your choice!
Day Two
Did you know that mindfulness is a useful tool in an argument or when you’re feeling angry? It’s not about escaping or erasing. It’s about centering so you can respond rather than react. Try it!
Day 3
We spend a lot of time in lines, and it can be frustrating. How you choose to spend that time can make a big impact on your wellbeing.
Day 4
Have you ever felt that your mind is cluttered with anxiety, stress, and a bunch of other junk? This mindfulness exercise will help you empty your mind and replace clutter with calm. The more you do it, the more it helps.
Day 5
It can be hard to get motivated sometimes. If you’re feeling unmotivated and stuck, try this mindfulness meditation for a boost.
Day 6
If you’ve ever had a hard time relaxing and unwinding (I have!), try this mindfulness exercise. It just might help–and reduce stress and anxiety in the process.
Day 7
How many times do you, when you’re hungry, wolf something down on the run, at your desk, standing at the counter, watching TV, or using your phone? When we do that, we stress our digestive system, and we don’t nourish our mind. Try slowing down and eating mindfully. See if it helps you feel less frazzled.
Day 8
Sometimes anxiety and negative thoughts can even ruin joyful moments. Thoughts invade, reminding us of problems or telling us that this happiness won’t last. Here’s a way to use mindfulness to en-JOY the moment without thoughts wrecking it.
Day 9
Honk if driving is stressful and anxiety-provoking! You can’t change traffic, but you can improve your experience in it with this mindfulness activity.
Day 10
We all experience bad days (boo). Practice this mindfulness activity whenever you need to. It won’t change events out of your control, but it will help your brain and body. That, in turn, helps your thoughts, perspective, emotions, and actions so you can turn things around.
Day 11
Mindfulness is just as important and effective on good days as it is on bad days. It’s frustrating when we miss the good in life because worries creep in and shift our attention. Use mindfulness to be there for your good day.
Day 12
Full attention in the moment minimizes distractibility so you can focus on what you need to do to move yourself forward.
Day 13
It’s Day 13 of our November mindfulness experience! Here’s a way you can rescue yourself from boredom with mindfulness.
Day 14
Being mindful of the present moment when there’s a problem in the present moment can increase, rather than calm, anxiety and stress. Yet, with minor modifications, mindfulness still works!
Day 15
Experiencing strong, negative emotions is rough, and the more emotions take over, the worse we feel and the harder it is to improve how we feel and what we do to deal with the situation that’s causing strong emotions. Use this mindfulness exercise to create inner calm instead of chaos.
Day 16:
Pain can shut us down. So can ordinary kinks and aches and soreness. Practicing mindfulness probably won’t cure the pain or what’s causing it, but it can open your mind and body so your life isn’t dominated by the pain. (If you are experiencing any kind of pain or discomfort, it’s very important to consult with a doctor before any exercise that uses the body.)
Day 17
What are you doing today? Perhaps take a walk (bundle up if necessary!) will help clear your head and chase out some anxiety or depression.
Day 18
Welcome to this part of your day! It’s day 18 of the 30-day mindfulness experience. Have you ever felt stuck, frustrated, boxed in? Developing mental flexibility can help. This mindfulness activity hones mental flexibility, and the more you do it the more your mind expands.
Day 19
Have you ever been shut down by self-doubt? There’s a mindfulness exercise for that! I use it often, and it works well. (It’s not a one-and-done activity but instead is something that becomes an automatic response to recurring thoughts and doubts.)
Day 20
Meetings happen quite a lot–work, parent, school programs, sports, scouts, and more. Love them or loathe them, there are times when you must attend them. If you experience anxiety or trouble focusing (or staying awake), try this mindfulness exercise.
Day 21
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the US. If you’re among the ranks of people preparing all or part of the holiday meal, you might be feeling stress today. Let this mindfulness exercise bring lightness to your load.
Day 22
On day 22, the mindfulness focus is gratitude. It’s appropriate for Thanksgiving, but this exercise extends past thankfulness for the big things in life and helps hone continuous gratitude for unlikely things. This is for a grateful way of life.
Day 23
It’s Day 23 of the November Mindfulness Experience! Today’s exercise is designed to help you treat yourself with kindness.
Day 24
Guilt can weigh heavily on us. Unfortunately, what it does is pull us into the past, which is over, and prevent us from living fully in our present. To make matters worse, guilty thoughts and feelings aren’t always accurate. Our negative thoughts, anxiety, and depression distort thinking and feeling. Break away from the chain and move forward into your quality life.
Day 25
Sometimes it seems like life spirals out of control. You can take your life back at any given moment. Let this grounding and centering mindfulness exercise help you do it.
Day 26
We’re in the last week of our November Mindfulness Experience. Let’s finish strong with some mindfulness for brain fog.
Day 27
Do you tend to overthink things? Does it cause stress and anxiety? I find myself overthinking at times, and it does cause stress and anxiety. Overthinking isn’t a flaw! It’s the human brain’s default setting. We don’t have to accept that default setting, though. This mindfulness exercise helps quiet the mind and reduces overthinking. I use it, and I find it very effective. What do you do to reduce overthinking and anxiety?
Day 28
Lying awake at night is frustrating whether it’s for an occasional night or every night. Perhaps it’s counterintuitive, but being present and attentive to the moment is much more effective than trying to convince yourself that you need sleep. Try this mindfulness exercise next time you’re tossing and turning.
Day 29
Life is a dance that is best when it’s enjoyed. En-JOY is an action verb that involves purposefully celebrating the good both big and small. Do it mindfully for best results.
Day 30
DAY 30!! We’ve completed an entire month of mindfulness! How was it for you? Did you have a favorite? This last one is for your life in its entirety. Mindfulness can help you make it what you want it to be. It can help you be how you want to be. It’s not a one-and-done sort of thing. It takes practice and time to become automatic. But it does become automatic, and it is powerful.
Mindfully yours,
Tanya.
The Buddha’s words in the last mindfulness experience are so wise and powerful that I used them in The Mindfulness Journal for Anxiety. The journal is full of wise quotes from mindfulness experts and leaders, stunning images, and targeted exercises to help you overcome anxiety and live the life you want right now, in the now.
The Mindfulness Journal for Anxiety–to replace chaos with calm — is available for preorder on Amazon now! It will be in hand on December 25 (or 26).
