I spent years feeling like my life was just passing me by. Seven years to be exact.

I worked a mindless job during the day, spent my evenings drinking with my coworkers (or at home alone if no one was available), and casually dated one questionable character after another.

For years, it felt as though life was just happening to me, and I had no real say or authority in the matter. I was more of a casual bystander, than an active participant in my own life.

I was more mindless than mindful, and oftentimes found myself battling guilt, depression, and pressure from others to do things I wasn’t wholly comfortable with.

When I think back to this period, I can’t help but feel a little sense of regret for all the thing I missed out on. While this lost time is something I will never be able to get back, it is also something I will never allow myself to lose again moving forward.

Why Mindfulness Matters

Mindfulness is about learning how to be more present.

Oftentimes we are physically there in the moment, but our mind, heart, and thoughts are somewhere else.

This can be because we are dealing with underlying emotional issues, or we find ourselves in situations we feel obligated to be in, but truly do not want to be a part of.

When we are not present in the moment, we oftentimes find distractions to help numb our discomfort, such as staying on our phone the entire time we are at a social gathering, drinking daily, getting lost in social media, or binge watching tv.

This can cause you to feel not only disconnected from life, but from yourself, making it hard to distinguish your true feelings.

Mindfulness is all about establishing a greater connection with yourself and the world around you. It’s about appreciating who you are, and giving yourself an opportunity to experience life.

Here are 10 mindfulness activities to help you uncover how you are truly feeling, learn to appreciate yourself more, and help put you on the path to start enjoying your life.

10 Mindfulness Activities

1. 30-Minute Daily Walk in Nature

Walking is a form of practicing overall wellness. It’s an opportunity to release old, pent-up thoughts and emotions, while building new energy. Use your time outdoors as a way to communicate your needs to the world around you, and experience nature in its truest form.

2. Daily Affirmations

Who you are is essentially what you think.

Positive daily affirmations can help reset negative thought patterns. It’s a subtle, yet powerful way to construct a more positive inner dialogue with yourself, so you are able to build self-confidence, be more productive, and start working on the things that mean something to you.

If you are looking for positive daily affirmations to help start your day, check out my post 10 Affirmation to Help you Feel Inspired.

3. Deep Breathing Exercises

 Deep breathing is all about grounding yourself in the present moment.

Oftentimes we can find ourselves feeling mentally “taken out” of stressful situations. What I mean by this is although we are physically there, it feels as though our thoughts, responses, and action are taking place outside of us.

Focusing on your breathing pattern helps to bring you back to a mental and emotional state of calmness, so you are better able to assess how you are feeling, and respond to uncomfortable situations with a clear presence of mind.

If you constantly find yourself dealing with stressful situations, it may be worth it to research and develop a deep breathing practice to help you manage your responses.

4. Guided Meditation Practice

 Mindfulness and meditation go hand in hand.

Each help to improve the impact and effect of the other. Meditation teaches you to hone in on your senses and be more present, and mindfulness is the act of applying that practice in the moment.

If you are a beginner to meditation, it may be helpful to start out with a guided meditation practice to help you become more comfortable in your technique, and confident in your ability focus while letting go.

5. Practicing Gratitude

Gratitude is the simple gesture of acknowledging the positive in your day.

When we remain committed to our problems, it numbs our senses and dilutes our ability to identify the good that is still present in our lives.

Developing a practice in gratitude is about learning to trust yourself, and the universe around you. It will help to put some perspective on your problems, and keep you grounded when you feel the most lost.

6. Journaling

A lack in mindfulness can result in a lack of feelings about you, your life, and even those around you. This can present itself in feelings of indecisiveness, low confidence, and an inability to comfortably express yourself to others.

Journaling is one way to help you to explore your feelings, and develop a deeper awareness of your inner state. It’s all about generating your thoughts to examine the true state of what is going on inside of you.

If you feel unsure of what to write about, consider using journal prompts. This can help you pen your first few thoughts and get your mind flowing.

7. Morning Routine

Morning routines are small timeframes with big potential.

Take a few quiet minutes to mentally run through your day, and allow yourself to feel how you are feeling, and how you want to feel throughout the day. This is a great way to consistently show up for yourself, especially if you are constantly feeling let down by yourself, others, or by life in general.

Come up with a timeframe in the morning that works best for your lifestyle, and use this undistracted space to visualize your day and your place within it.

8. Try Something New

Complacency is a big part of disconnection.

Taking yourself out of the moment, whether it be physically or mentally, is a coping mechanism for dealing with negative feelings or situations.

Trying new things is one way to break complacency by giving you a chance to create and experience healthy emotions in a different setting. This can be a simple act like going to the bookstore or visiting the local coffee shop you always pass on the way home.

Chances are there is something you want to try, but feel reluctant to do. Take a small step outside your comfort zone, and commit to just one hour to try something new.

9. Find a Hobby

Hobbies are all about expressing your natural creativity. Getting lost in something you enjoy is an effortless way to sync your mind and body.

There are numerous personal benefits to having a hobby, such a building self-confidence, developing a new skill, or meeting new people. Consider dusting off a hobby you’ve always enjoyed, or starting a new one.

10. Do Something You Enjoy

Doing what you enjoy is one of the best ways to truly live in the moment.

When you constantly ignore what you want, over time it can cause resentment to build up, creating a deep-down sense of loss and unexplained feelings of disconnection from yourself and those around you.

The act of doing what you want to do is a simple way of nurturing your inner soul and needs.

If you feel unsure of what you like to do, try revisiting the things you use to enjoy, but haven’t done in a long time. This will give you an opportunity to see if you still like the same things, or discover new things about yourself.

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Mindfulness is a personal practice that can have a powerful impact on the quality of your emotions, and your ability to experience and enjoy life as it is happening.

It’s all about learning how to live in the moment, and not allowing your inhibitions, fears, and insecurities to hold you back any longer.