How to Turn Daily Chores into a Mindfulness Practice

Many of my patients tell me they would like to start practicing mindfulness, but they just don’t know where to start.  Mindfulness may sound difficult, but mindfulness can actually be practiced while doing simple daily chores.   Here are a few you can try:

1.        Washing the dishes

The next time you wash the dishes, intentionally bring your attention to the act of scrubbing, washing, and rinsing.  Whenever you notice your mind start to wander, simply bring your attention back to the act of washing the dishes.  Pay special attention to the details, textures, and colors of the dishes you are washing.

2.        Baking

This is actually one of my favorite hobbies in my down time because of how calm I feel while I’m baking.  I find that I am completely focused and present when I have to follow a recipe exactly. Focusing on a recipe doesn’t leave any room for my mind to wander.

3.        Brushing and flossing your teeth

This is an easy one to get in the habit of because we do it every day.  Bring your focus to the act of brushing your teeth.  Maybe you slow down the brushing so that you can pay specific attention to which teeth you are brushing and how it feels.  You can even count the brush strokes. If you notice your mind starting to wander, intentionally bring your focus back to brushing or flossing.

4.        Folding laundry

I know this may not seem mindful at all, but you can very easily make folding laundry into a mindfulness practice.  Focus on the texture, color, and pattern of the clothes.  Pay special attention to the fabric while you are folding it.  This can actually be a very calming exercise.  Once again, if you notice your mind wander, simply bring your focus back to folding.

These are simple daily tasks that can be an easy way to practice mindfulness. Try one today!