Mindfulness is often associated with quiet meditation or sitting still and observing any thoughts and emotions without judgment, but there are many other ways to implement mindfulness in your everyday life. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. Mindfulness is flexible, personal and can shift with your mood or energy.

Whether you’re buzzing with anxiety or running on empty, there’s a mindful approach that can meet you where you are. This guide breaks mindfulness down by various moods, so you can find what fits you – no pressure and no perfection required.

MENTOR Mindfulness Curriculum Coordinator Emily Hornsby says bringing 100 percent awareness to the activity you are doing is what mindfulness is all about. When your mind wanders off in thoughts about the future or the past, and it will, the practice becomes acknowledging the thinking mind without judging it, and then returning your attention back to the activity you are doing.

Anxious: Try Sensory Grounding

Anxiety often pulls us into a whirlwind of what-ifs. Mindfulness can help bring us back to what is right here, right now. 

• Coloring or drawing: Lose yourself in the rhythm of shapes, lines or colors. It doesn’t need to be artistic. Just put colors on the page.
• Listening deeply: Put on calming music or ambient sounds. Try to focus on just one element – the beat, a melody or even the silence between notes.
• Touch-based grounding: Hold something textured like a stone, a fuzzy blanket, a warm mug. Let your attention settle on how it feels.

Tired: Rest Is Mindful, Too

Low energy doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. In fact, slowing down can be one of the most mindful things you do.

• Mindful rest: As you are able, lie down, place a hand on your chest or stomach, and feel your breath. No need to control it. Just focus on the sensation.
• Body scan: Starting at your head and working down, quietly check in with each part of your body and invite relaxation. This gentle awareness can help release built-up, subconscious tension.
• Gazing out the window: Let your eyes wander without a goal. Notice color, shape, movement. There’s mindfulness in just watching the world go by.

Restless: Move with Intention

Sometimes the best way to find stillness is through movement. Mindful movement helps channel that fidgety energy in a grounding way.

• Walking meditation: As you move, pay attention to your body, the way your arms swing or the way the air feels against your skin.
• Stretching: Whether it’s a full yoga routine or just reaching toward the ceiling, notice how your body responds to each movement and any thoughts or emotions that arise without judging them.
• Dancing freely: Put on a song you love and move however you want. Mindfulness isn’t about control – it’s about presence.

Conclusion

Mindfulness doesn’t need to be serious or structured. It can look like movement, art, music or rest. It can happen in motion or in stillness, alone or with others. Most importantly, it can – and should – look different for everyone.

You don’t have to do it perfectly. You just have to meet your body where it is in any given moment. Mindfulness is about noticing what’s happening in the moment as opposed to  doing it “right.” It’s about doing it your way.