Mindfulness is the practice of staying in the present moment. The goal of mindfulness is to replace negative thinking patterns with positive thinking and to reduce anxiety about the past or future. There a lot of different mindfulness techniques, but meditation is the most common. When you think of meditation, you may think of soft music and closed eyes. As helpful as meditation is, you can’t close your eyes and take care of your family, fulfill work obligations, or drive in rush hour traffic.

Here are 5 kinds of meditation that you can do on the fly:

• Breathing exercises- Breathing exercises can be done before you start your day or during your busy day. To properly do this kind of exercise you need to take a few minutes to observe your breathing. Focus as you breath in and out. Are you breathing too fast? If you notice that your breathing is tense, intentionally sow own your breathing and focus on being calm.
• Listening to meditation music is an easy on the go mindfulness exercise. You don’t have to close your eyes, unless you are in a place where you can. Do a simple internet search to find rainforest sounds, nighttime relaxation noises, thunderstorm sounds, or whatever you prefer. Put your earphones in or listen in your car. While you are listening, allow the music to calm you.
• Doing opposite to emotion actions are part of mindfulness meditation. Whenever you have negative thoughts, intentionally do or say the opposite. Are you getting ready for a meeting or function? Does it produce anxiety? Try doing the opposite of what you feel. For example, say positive self-affirmations or choose to be calm in the situation.
• Use an app. There are several apps available for your smartphone. Just search meditation or mindfulness and start using the app in your day to day activities. A lot of these apps offer challenges or guided breathing exercises to encourage mindfulness and meditation.
• Have an attitude of gratitude! Simply changing your perspective can be a form of meditation. During the day, as stress builds up, remind yourself of the things you are grateful for. If you make this a habit, you will start observing how difficult it is to be in a bad mood when you have an attitude of gratitude.

Try incorporating 1 or 2 of these on the go meditation exercises and watch how quickly your perspective changes.

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