Tips for Creating a Mindfulness Routine

Here are a few ideas:

1. Before you get out of bed in the morning, pause for three whole breaths. With just a few seconds, set the tone for the day ahead.
2. When you brush your teeth, focus your attention on the physical sensations, the smells, the taste etc.
3. Make your morning coffee a ritual. Sit down with it. Take in the smell, the taste, and the room.
4. Stick a blank post-it note on your front door to “trigger” yourself to be mindful as you walk out.
5. Make the beginning and end of a business trip a mindful moment. When you first get on the plane or in the car, be present for 3 breaths. Then repeat again on the way home.
6. If you work at a desk, use your change in posture to trigger the memory to be present. Each time you sit down or stand up is an opportunity.
7. Pause before eating, just long enough for one whole breath. As you eat, use the taste and smell as the focal point for your attention. 
8. Put a small sticker on the back of your phone to remind yourself to be present before the mind gets lost in thoughts and distractions. 
9. Get a “remember to be mindful tattoo”. We're kidding. Unless you want one.
10. Take a moment before going to bed to appreciate something good that has happened in the day. Even something small—the clouds parting, the taste of your first cup of coffee, the sweet parking spot you found in front of work—give that good fortune a moment to grow before letting it go.

Start small. Pick one activity a day and make it a habit.
Then pick one at home and one at work. Each time a new habit gets strong, add another a week later.
Before you know it, you’ll have routines throughout the day that help you maintain calm and clarity.