A Beginner’s Guide to Mindfulness:
What is Mindfulness Anyway?
Before we dive in, let’s get one thing straight—mindfulness isn’t just for monks or people who can sit cross-legged for hours without cramping up. Mindfulness is simply the act of being fully present in the moment, without getting hijacked by worries about the past or future. It’s about noticing what’s happening right now—your thoughts, your surroundings, and even that weird sensation that your socks are slightly uneven. The best part? Anyone can do it, and it doesn’t require special equipment or chanting (unless you’re into that).
Let’s be real for a second: life is chaotic. Your brain is constantly juggling a thousand things—emails, social media notifications, that embarrassing thing you said five years ago at a party. Enter mindfulness, the art of chilling out while actually paying attention to your life instead of operating on autopilot. But how do you do it? Let’s break it down into five super-easy steps (because we all have enough to stress about already).
Step 1: Breathe Like You Mean It
You’ve been breathing your whole life, so you should be a pro at it, right? Wrong. Turns out, most of us breathe like panicked squirrels—shallow and fast. Mindful breathing means slowing down and actually noticing the air going in and out.
How to do it:
- Take a deep breath in through your nose like you’re trying to sniff out free pizza.
- Hold it for a second.
- Exhale through your mouth like you’re blowing out candles on a birthday cake.
- Repeat a few times until you start feeling less like a stressed-out raccoon and more like a Zen master.
This step alone can work wonders. Plus, it gives you something to focus on when life gets a little too real.
Step 2: Pay Attention to What’s Happening (Like, Right Now)
Mindfulness is basically the opposite of scrolling through TikTok while eating snacks and binge-watching your favorite show (no judgment, we’ve all been there). Instead, it’s about paying attention to this exact moment.
How to do it:
- Notice what’s around you. What do you see, hear, and smell? Hopefully, not smoke—unless you’re at a BBQ party, in which case, enjoy.
- Focus on what you’re doing, even if it’s something boring like washing dishes. Feel the water, notice the bubbles, pretend you’re in a fancy spa commercial.
- If your brain starts wandering (which it will, because brains are like hyperactive puppies), just gently bring it back to the present
Boom. You’re now almost a mindfulness pro. Or at least, you’re not lost in a daydream about what you’d do if you won the lottery.
Step 3: Befriend Your Thoughts (Even the Weird Ones)
Your mind is a chatterbox. Sometimes it’s helpful (“Don’t forget your keys!”) and sometimes it’s just… weird (“What if pigeons had jobs?”). Mindfulness teaches you to notice your thoughts without getting sucked into them like a soap opera.
How to do it:
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- Instead of fighting your thoughts, just watch them like you’re people-watching at a coffee shop.
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- If a thought is stressful, imagine it’s a cloud floating by. No need to hop on that cloud and ride it to Anxiety Town.
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- Remind yourself that thoughts aren’t facts. Just because your brain tells you something doesn’t make it true. This helps to reduce overthinking (we all been there, it’s 3am and the train of thoughts running wild).
With practice, you’ll start to feel less controlled by your thoughts and more like the wise, unbothered guru you were meant to be.
Step 4: Do One Thing at a Time (Multitasking is a Lie)
Society loves to make us think that multitasking is a superpower. Spoiler: It’s not. Your brain can’t actually focus on multiple things at once—it’s just switching really fast, between tasks. As the picture above we have all been in a situation where we’re overwhelmed by all the things we try do at the same time. In fact, slowing down can make you more productive, read my blog about How To Start Slowing Down in 2025
How to do it:
- Pick one thing to focus on. Just one.
- Do it with your full attention. Whether it’s drinking coffee, listening to a friend, or petting a dog (highly recommended, even you don’t have one yourself), be all in.
- Resist the urge to check your phone every two seconds. You can survive five minutes without it (probably longer).
Single-tasking makes everything feel more enjoyable. Plus, it’s way less stressful than juggling a million things at once.
Step 5: Be Kind to Yourself (Seriously, Cut Yourself Some Slack)
Mindfulness isn’t about being a perfect Zen master who never gets stressed. It’s about noticing what’s happening without beating yourself up. We are our own worst critic, (at least I am) Mindfulness help you learn accept yourself as you are.
How to do it:
- If you get distracted (which you will), just gently bring your attention back. No self-shaming necessary.
- Talk to yourself like you would to a good friend. Would you call your bestie an idiot for forgetting to meditate? No. So don’t do it to yourself.
- Remind yourself that mindfulness is a practice, not a pass/fail test. The goal is progress, not perfection.
Life is messy, and that’s okay. The key is to be kind to yourself while navigating the chaos.
Mindfulness Is Your Superpower (Use It Wisely)
So there you have it—five ridiculously simple steps to bring a little more mindfulness into your life. No need to move to a mountain and meditate for hours (unless you want to). Just breathe, pay attention, befriend your thoughts, stop pretending to multitask, and be nice to yourself.
And here’s your challenge: try just one of these steps today. Maybe take three deep breaths before diving into your inbox or actually taste your food instead of inhaling it. Small steps make a big difference.
Now go forth, breathe deeply, and embrace your inner chill master. You’ve got this!
Share if you know anyone that could need five easy steps to start practicing mindfulness