Tiny Buddha

Author: Paul Harrison

  • How to Calm Morning Anxiety by Mindfully Drinking Tea

    How to Calm Morning Anxiety by Mindfully Drinking Tea

    “Mindfulness isn’t difficult. We just need to remember to do it.” ~Sharon Salzberg

    As a Brit, I do what we British people do best: drink tea. Lots of it.

    I’ve drunk a cup of tea every morning since I was a chubby-faced teenager.

    I used to think tea was the best thing ever, that friendly little cup of brew that’s always there for you, reminding you to take a moment to chill. But it turns out that mindfully drinking a cup of tea is so much better. Not only does it make me enjoy my tea more, it has utterly redefined my mornings and even cured my morning anxiety.

    Morning anxiety is marked by an adrenaline rush, racing hart, heightened blood pressure, worry, edginess, and fatigue even though you’ve only just gotten out of bed.

    I used to feel anxious most mornings and it set the tone for the rest of my day. When I woke up my mind would already be full of ideas about what I had to do that day, worry that I wouldn’t get it all done, and a constant feeling of being rushed, which made it all but impossible to sit and just be.

    I was sick of waking up either stressed or anxious, so I decided to change my morning habits to put me in the right state of mind for the day ahead.

    I knew I didn’t want to do anything challenging, like yoga or a deep meditation technique, because I personally believe the morning should be relaxed and easy so that the mind and body have time to wake up gently before getting into work.

    So I decided to do something very easy but also very positive: turn my regular morning brew into an experience in mindfulness. And it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

    When you’re trying to develop mindful habits, it’s best to focus on the things you already do routinely every day.

    For instance, if you walk to work you can start Zen walking, which is essentially walking while being mindful of the movement in your feet and legs.

    Or, if you take the bus, you can sit on the bus and meditate on your breath—something I used to do twice a day every day.

    Other examples include mindful showering, meditating while doing the dishes, or even mindful listening (meditating on the sound of the other person’s voice while you’re listening to them).

    When you turn everyday tasks into mindful activities, you cultivate the habit of mindfulness. That’s why my mindful-morning-tea was such a good idea—because I do it every day.

    It’s a wonderful little mindful-habit that I’ve developed for myself. Because I now automatically drink my tea mindfully, without even thinking about it. That’s a precious ten minutes every morning to overcome my anxiety and set a more positive tone for the rest of the day.

    Another wonderful thing about these mindful habits is that they are great for busy people. If you think you don’t have the time to meditate or be mindful, simply do what you do anyway but in a mindful way. That way, you can squeeze in your mindfulness without actually investing your time into it [here are some more great mindfulness tips for busy people].

    Let me show you how to do it. And don’t sweat, if you’re one of those weird people who thinks that coffee is better than tea (pah!) you can also use this mindfulness exercise when drinking your Nescafe.

    How To Drink Tea Mindfully In the Morning

    I’ve learned that when I first wake up, I need to take at least five to ten minutes to just generally get up, waken my mind, and, you know, yawn and do other morning things. You won’t want to start being mindfully immediately because your mind probably won’t be fully conscious the moment you get out of bed. So, before drinking your morning brew give yourself a few minutes just to wake up.

    Once you’re properly awake, start making tea as you usually would: take out your cup, deposit a tea bag in it, and fill the kettle.

    Then turn the kettle on and mindfully tune into the sound of the water as it heats. I find that meditating on the process of the water heating in the kettle actually helps me wake up—something about that water becoming enlivened makes my mind become enlivened as well; those little bubbles getting ever more excited and lively, it’s the perfect metaphor for the start of a busy day.

    Once the kettle has boiled, slowly put the water in the cup. I like to pour the water slowly out of the kettle and notice how freely water flows. I actually meditate on flowing water regularly because it helps me to reconnect with nature and feel that same sense of flow in my own being.

    Once the cup is full, mindfully observe how the water changes color from light to dark. I like to take a little sip of the tea black before putting the milk in, and meditate on that rich flavor, which I find truly invigorating for the taste-buds.

    Next, take out whatever type of milk you use (I personally dig Almond milk). Slowly pour the milk into the cup and observe the graduation of color from black to brown. I find that observing how the tea turns from dark to light reminds me of the rising sun in the early morning, and the light beginning to spread over the world as the lightness develops in my tea.

    Now you’re ready to drink your brew. Make sure you drink it slowly. If it has an aroma, mindfully observe that scent before you take your first sip. This will awaken your sense of smell (and awakening the senses is a wonderful way to develop mindfulness). Then gradually, slowly, drink your cup of tea, taking your time to be aware of the different senses involved, such as the warm feeling of the tea in your mouth, and the flavor.

    I personally like to drink my tea with my eyes closed, taking the occasional mindful breath to help myself achieve that “restful but awake” state of mind.

    In all, it should take approximately ten minutes to finish your drink. That’s ten minutes of morning meditation that will awaken your mind and help you to focus—a perfect mental state for the morning.

    The good thing about this practice is that it gives you almost all the same benefits of general mindfulness. If you drink your tea meditatively, you will naturally slow your mind and enter that restful state where your parasympathetic nervous system kicks in and you feel relaxed.

    Plus, by being mindful of your movements while you make the brew, you will enhance your mind-body connection (all mindful movement enhances mind-body connection, not just yoga and tai chi). And making and drinking tea awakens all five senses, which is one of the fundamental aspects of mindfulness.

    It’s always worth remembering that mindfulness doesn’t have to include meditation. You can be mindful while doing practically anything. And if you don’t happen to drink warm beverages in the morning, you can always follow the same process while drinking water or orange juice, or by eating a mindful breakfast.

    All the matters is that you find one morning routine that you do every day and use it as a mindfulness-activity. This will train your mind to be mindful in the morning so you relax when you get out of bed.

    I’ve personally found that by drinking my morning tea slowly and mindfully, I dispel my morning anxiety, I focus my mind, and I establish a positive mindset that helps me have an enjoyable and productive day.

  • Boost Your Happiness: 10 Mindfulness Tips for Busy People

    Boost Your Happiness: 10 Mindfulness Tips for Busy People

    “There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

    Do you ever feel as though you would be happy if only things were a little different?

    You know that happiness is important, but you keep putting it on the backburner because there simply isn’t enough time to prioritize your own inner joy.

    And at the same time, you know that meditation would help, but you can’t even imagine where you’re going to get the spare time you need to sit still and meditate.

    In an ideal world, we would schedule moments every day in which to cater to our health needs, because health and well-being are paramount. Yet despite our best efforts we will inevitably face those times when we’re busy every minute of the day. I know I’ve been there.

    A few years ago I moved country while pursuing life as a freelance journalist. I was working non-stop for a less than minimum wage, and I had zero time to focus on my mental health.

    Life became unbearably stressful. And while I knew that I could stop the stress if I meditated, I simply couldn’t work out how I would ever get the time to do it.

    My happiness drifted further and further away. Stress built. Anxiety hit hard. And with zero free time I simply couldn’t find a way out of my misery.

    I knew meditation was the key. I just didn’t have the time for it. So I made a choice. Instead of meditating the old-fashioned way, sitting still doing nothing, I would find ways to meditate while still being productive. That way I could work on my happiness while still doing everything I needed to do.

    The key was mindfulness.

    By simply being present and living in the moment, I could meditate while getting things done.

    This was a total game-changer for me. Suddenly I had all the time in the world to practice mindfulness because I could do it while still being productive.

    I was mindful day and night. I would eat meals mindfully, walk mindfully, read my email mindfully… whatever I needed to do I would do mindfully.

    Suddenly I had gone from having no time to meditate to making mindfulness an integrated part of my life.

    All mindful moments were helpful at this time. But there were ten mindful practices that I found particularly valuable. And even though today I keep a much healthier schedule and make sure not to spread myself too thin, I still use these practices.

    Whether you’re going through a busy time or looking for an alternative to traditional seated-meditation, you can use these techniques to boost your mindfulness while saving time.

    1. Walk mindfully.

    Walking is one of the most relaxing exercises in the world. But it can be all too easy to ruin a good walk by thinking too much. When walking, be mindful of the world around you, paying attention to your five senses. Alternatively, meditate on the feeling of movement in your legs, which is a practice used in Zen walking.

    2. Eat mindfully.

    Eating mindfully is one of the most wonderful things we do for both body and mind. When we eat mindfully we become more aware of the food we are eating. This makes us more appreciative of food and of the digestive process, and also makes us more likely to eat healthily. Take time eating meals, and focus on the food.

    3. In a queue? Meditate.

    Here’s a great time-saving tip. When you’re in a queue, meditate. You’re standing still doing nothing anyway, and you could be there for a good few minutes, so why not make the most of the time?

    Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Or, if you don’t feel comfortable with your eyes closed in public, gaze at a wall or something else that is not distracting, and focus on breathing. This is a great way to actually make use of time that would otherwise be wasted.

    4. Meditate on the bus.

    This is my all time favorite mindfulness practice. I’m frequently using the bus in order to help cut emissions, and my trips range from half an hour to well over an hour. That’s time that would be utterly wasted. But by meditating I actually get something out of my time on the bus.

    Personally, I’m always happy to sit with my eyes closed and look a little bit funny doing so. But if you prefer not to draw attention to yourself, keep your eyes open and simply drop your gaze to a forty-five-degree angle. Now focus on your breath.

    5. Exercise with body and mind.

    Oftentimes when we’re exercising the body thoughts are still ruminating in the mind. Big mistake. Physical exercise can be used as training for both body and mind. All we need to do is focus while we exercise.

    Some exercises are more conducive to this than others. Yoga, tai chi, and Qigong are all excellent mind and body exercises, and running can be another good choice. Other exercises such as weight-lifting and competitive team sports are less appropriate.

    6. Actually watch the TV.

    How often do we have the TV on without actually focusing on it? We’ve got some random show playing in the background while we’re thinking of what to make for dinner or what we have to do at work. This creates a rift between our reality and what’s occurring in the mind. And this is detrimental to mental health.

    When watching the TV, actually set aside an hour or so in which to genuinely watch a show. Focus on the show. And when it is over turn off the TV.

    7. Lie down in body and mind.

    Lying down is, of course, an act of rest. But too often when we lie down we rest the body while still working the mind. How many times have you gone to bed worrying about the next day? Such moments are not genuine rest, and they certainly are not conducive to good sleep.

    When lying down with the body, we should lie down with the mind too. To do this, focus the mind on the body. Focus on the body at rest.

    Begin by focusing on the crown of your head. Notice what sensations are there. Is there any tension? If so, imagine breathing fresh air into that area. The fresh air relaxes. It carries away the tension.

    Once the crown of your head is relaxed, move down to your forehead and repeat the process there.

    Continue one step at a time, progressing through your eyes, nose, mouth, neck and so on, all the way to your feet.

    Your entire body will now be utterly relaxed. Focus on it. Be mindful of your entire body. Particularly be aware of the sense of relaxation. Keep the mind there, your consciousness evenly spread across your whole body.

    This is lying down in mind as well as in body. It is an immensely relaxing experience and one of the best ways of refreshing the mind.

    8. Really listen.

    Everyone loves a good listener, and listening can be an act of mindfulness too. All we need do is pay absolute attention to the person speaking. When doing this, we do not judge their voice or what they are saying, and we do not worry about how we are going to respond; we simply focus on the sound of the other person’s voice.

    9. When working, work.

    Let’s be completely honest, most of us do not focus on work 100% unless the boss is standing next to us. Instead, we’re thinking about how we want to get out of the office, how we’d rather be at home or out having fun. But dreaming about not working while we’re at work simply makes us miserable.

    When we focus the mind 100% on the work we’re doing we come to actually enjoy our jobs. So, when writing, write. When selling, sell. And when listening to that angry customer’s complaints, listen. This will stop work from feeling like a chore and make it a pleasurable, mindful experience.

    10. Listen to the kettle and meditate on the drink.

    As an Englishman, my kettle is turned on far too many times throughout the day, and I do delight in drinking far too much tea. (It’s usually green, so at least I’ve got that going for me.)

    One way to make a cup of tea or coffee even better is to meditate on it. Meditate on the sound of the kettle when it is boiling. Focus on the process of making the tea or coffee. And drink mindfully. This will make you appreciate the drink more, while also increasing present-moment-mindfulness.

    —

    Mindfulness needn’t take time. We can be mindful while doing the things we need to do. And in the process, we can boost our happiness and health without losing time.

    The ten tips we’ve looked at provide ways to boost mindfulness while saving time. And there are many similar tips.

    What is your favorite way of being mindful?