Practice mindfulness in mundane tasks
Be completely involved in what you are doing, especially the tasks that you perform mechanically out of practice such as brushing teeth, bathing, folding clothes, chopping, driving etc.
One thing at a time
Multitasking trains our minds to jump between tasks without being completely involved in any. It makes our minds fickle. Such a mind finds it more difficult to meditate.
Limit screen time
Whether it’s the TV, mobile, laptop, Kindle or tab, they all provide a lot of movement, bright light, sounds, colours and more. Our minds get used to this and find it difficult to focus on one thing which is what meditation starts with.
Pause for focused breathing
Take breaks during the day to focus on your breathing and relax your body—consciously unknot the tight spots. This trains our mind to focus on one thing and centres our attention.
Read books
Preferably a book in hand rather than an e-book. Reading trains our minds to focus. Having got used to screens and fast-moving images, this may not be as simple as it used to be.
Practice chanting and japa
The vibrations caused by chanting mantras and stotras quietens the mind and reduces the thought flow. Follow this with japa using a japa mala. You start small and gradually increase to 108 times and more.
