Mindfulness Technique: Mindful Eating

Being mindful has amazing benefits including stress reduction, improved focus and concentration, and even physical benefits such as reduced blood pressure, improved sleep (also amazing for decreasing anxiety), and can even improve your immune system.

The mindfulness technique: mindful eating is one more tool for building mindfulness into your everyday life without adding more "to-do's." An added bonus, mindful eating encourages savoring your food and therefore increases the taste. Many have used this technique to enjoy their favorite flavors while consuming less... many engage in mindful eating as a form of balanced eating.

So...how do you do it? It's super easy! Remember,

mindfulness is all about the here and now.

To start, you bring your attention to what you are about to eat. My favorite items particularly for taking a moment to be mindful are Hershey kisses and meltaway mints. Hold the item in your hand, and focus on how it feels, any sounds it makes, scents it may have. Slowly unwrap it again focusing on what you see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. Finally, place it in your mouth and allow it to slowly melt as you continue to focus on what you see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. You will notice that the flavor appears to intensify and your quick snack has turned into an amazing mindful moment.

Of course, the biggest benefit is the impact it has on your mental health, decreasing stress, anxiety, depression and generally improving your overall mood.