- benefits of journaling

- types of journaling
- how to start journaling
- how to journal for mental health
- how to keep a journal
- journaling ideas
- journaling prompts
- journaling for mental health
- journaling for anxiety
- journaling prompts for mental health
- journaling supplies
- journaling for beginners
- What should I put in my journal?
- What should I include in my bullet Journal?
- What can I use my journal for?

- how do you practice mindfulness

- mindfulness meditation for anxiety
- benefits of mindfulness
- miracle of mindfulness
- how to practice mindfulness
- mindfulness exercises
- mindfulness meaning
- mindfulness music
- how to practice mindfulness
What is the 50 20 30 budget rule?
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 Beginning the practice of mindfulness can feel daunting at first, but starting small
with 1-minute exercises can make mindfulness very doable.

1. What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness, simply put, is paying attention to the here and now.
Regular daily practice seems to be more important than the length of your practice.
- Sit up straight, but not stiffly, in a chair with your feet flat on the ground.
- Place your hands in a balanced position and close your eyes.
- Focus on your breathing, as you follow each breath in and out.
- After 1 minute (or longer), gradually open your eyes and resume activities.

Quick tip: The sands of time

To help you keep up your 1-minute meditation practice, try keeping a 1-minute
hourglass timer on your desk or your bedside table.
Anytime you see something that draws your interest, like how the light plays on the
wall or the sound of a bird outside, just turn the timer upside down.
Focus on your breath along with what you see, hear, or feel for 1 minute.

2. Walking meditation
You can start doing this meditation for 1 minute as you walk from the kitchen to the
living room, or from your home to your car. Later, you might expand walking
meditations to include part or all of a daily walk.
- As you begin walking, pay attention to each step.
- Notice how many steps you take during each inhale and exhale, and at the speed
you’re walking. Pay attention to your lungs, and do not force your breathing or the
number of steps you take.
- Match your steps to your breath. For example, as you breathe in, count 1-2-3 steps.
As you breathe out, count 1-2-3 steps. Let your lungs and feet come to a happy
equilibrium.
3. Waking up
The first moments of waking are a wonderful time to practice mindfulness to greet
the day:
- Arrange your body in a comfortable position.
- Stretch and let your attention scan your body quickly.
- Pay attention to how each part of your body feels.
- Follow several cycles of inhales and exhales for 1 minute.

4. Free-range meditation
- Pay attention to the action of turning faucets, standing under the spray, putting on
soap.
- Feel the warm water, trying to feel each individual stream.
- Switch to cooler water for a couple of seconds, then back to warm water.
- Keep your attention on the present. If your thoughts wander, gently bring them back.
- Keep doing this for a minute to start, and you may eventually extend it to include the
entire shower, and drying off as well!
You can do free-range meditation with any of your daily activities — brushing your
teeth, washing dishes, drinking coffee, and even having a conversation with your
spouse or friend.

5. Box breathing
This is a great exercise to do whenever you’re waiting, for example:
on hold on the phone
at a traffic light
in the doctor’s office
 It’s a highly structured type of breathing exercise that requires your full attention.
You breathe in specific counts, while visualizing a box:
- Inhale to the count of 4 as you visualize the top edge of a box.
- Hold your breath for a count of 4, as you go down along the right side.
- Exhale for a count of 4, moving from right to left along the bottom edge.
- Hold for another count of 4, going up along the left side, back to the top.
Repeat for several cycles for at least 1 minute.

A 1-minute mindfulness exercise is an opportunity to pause and reset your mind and
body. It can also be your gateway to a regular mindfulness practice.

Guided meditations are often a good place to start. You might consider some of the
following resources: Apps like Calm, Headspace, and Insight Timer.