Turn Your Practice Into Mindfulness

Turn Your Practice Into Mindfulness (and See the Difference)

Hey there! You found me! Let’s talk about something you probably didn’t expect: practicing a skill can help you be more mindful. Yup, that’s right! You don’t need a fancy mindfulness app or a podcast to calm your mind. Instead, you can focus on the skills you’re already working on—whether it’s cooking, coding, or even kicking a football. You're probably thinking that I'm talking some nonsense so let’s break it down!

Why Practicing a Skill Can Help You Be More Mindful

When you think of mindfulness, you might picture someone sitting still, meditating, or doing yoga. But mindfulness can happen in lots of different ways. When you practice a skill—whether it’s drawing, playing an instrument, or improving your fitness—you’re focusing your mind on the task. This is called focused attention and is a big part of mindfulness.

When you focus fully on what you’re doing, it helps you stay in the moment. Research shows that being mindful while practicing a skill can help reduce stress and improve your mental focus (Jain et al., 2007). So, it’s not just about getting better at a skill—it’s also about feeling more relaxed and aware as you practice. Sound good so far?

Think of it this way: practicing mindfulness can happen while you're doing something you already love. Whether it’s cooking, playing sports, or working on a project, it’s all about paying attention and staying focused. No distractions!

How Mindfulness and Practice Work Together

Here’s the cool part: mindfulness and practicing a skill help each other. When you practice a skill, you naturally become more focused and mindful. And when you approach practice with a mindful mindset, you’ll improve faster. It’s like a loop: the more mindful you are, the better you get at your skill, and the better you get, the easier it is to stay mindful.

This idea is linked to something called the “flow state”. Have you ever been so caught up in what you’re doing that time just flies by? That’s called flow, and it’s closely connected to mindfulness (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).

Being in a flow state makes practice not just easier, but more fun! When you enjoy what you’re doing, you’ll want to keep going. This makes it easier to stick with your practice without feeling bored or frustrated.

Simple Tips to Make Your Practice More Mindful

Want to make your practice more mindful? Here are a few easy tips to get you started:

Get Rid of Distractions
To be more mindful, get rid of distractions. No music, no phone, no multitasking. Focus only on what you’re doing. Whether you’re working on a free kick in football or perfecting a recipe, being present helps you stay mindful. Mindfulness is about paying attention to what’s happening around you. If you’re listening to music while trying to cook or work out, your attention is split. By removing distractions, you can really dive into your practice.

Know Where You Are in Your Learning
This one’s easy but important. If you’re new to a skill, you might need some help, like YouTube tutorials or a guide. But as you get better, you’ll rely less on outside help. That’s when your practice becomes more mindful—you can focus on refining what you already know, without distractions. Knowing your learning stage helps you focus on what’s important. Beginners need structure, but as you improve, your practice will become about repeating and perfecting skills. That’s when mindfulness really takes over, helping you zero in on key parts of your practice.

Don’t Judge Yourself Too Harshly
This is big! Mindfulness is about noticing what’s happening without judging yourself. So if you make a mistake while practicing, don’t beat yourself up. Just notice what went wrong, adjust, and keep going. This non-judgmental mindset is key to staying mindful (Seppälä et al., 2014).
When you're too hard on yourself, you can get frustrated, making it harder to focus. By staying calm and not judging yourself, you’ll learn from your mistakes and keep your mind clear.

The Upward Spiral of Mindful Practice

When you put all these things together, something magical happens: you create a spiral of improvement. The more mindful you are during practice, the better you get at your skill. And as your skill improves, the easier it becomes to stay mindful. This upward spiral can take you all the way to peak performance, where both mindfulness and skill mastery come together.

Mindfulness isn’t just a tool to use when you’re stressed out or overwhelmed—it’s something that can enhance everything you do. By integrating mindfulness into your practice, you set yourself up for success in the long run. Whether it’s fitness, art, sports, or even learning a new language, mindful practice makes the process smoother, more enjoyable, and ultimately more rewarding.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it! Next time you’re practicing a skill, try turning it into a mindful experience. Cut out distractions, focus on where you are in your learning, and don’t judge yourself too harshly. You’ll not only improve your skills but also feel calmer and more focused.

Have you tried making your practice more mindful?

If you found this post helpful, feel free to share it with others. Let’s all practice a little more mindfulness in our daily lives. Anu out!

FAQ About Making Practice Mindful

Q: Can any skill be practiced mindfully?
A: Pretty much! Anything that requires focus and repetition can benefit from mindfulness. Whether it's a physical activity like yoga or football, or a mental one like coding or learning a language, the key is engaging fully with the process and eliminating distractions. However, if you're doing something that’s pure entertainment (like watching TV), it’s less about mindfulness and more about passive enjoyment.

Q: What if I get distracted easily? How can I stay mindful?
A: Start small. Set a timer for just 5 or 10 minutes where you focus only on your practice. Gradually build up the time as your attention span grows. Also, try to create a distraction-free environment—turn off your phone, find a quiet space, and give yourself permission to focus solely on what you're doing. Here's the good news: the skill you’re practicing is probably something you enjoy, so it shouldn’t be too hard to stay focused!

Q: Is it normal to feel frustrated during mindful practice?
A: Yes! Frustration is a part of the learning process, and it’s totally normal. The key is to acknowledge the frustration without letting it take over. When you notice yourself getting frustrated, take a breath, refocus, and remember that mistakes are just part of the journey. Being non-judgmental is crucial to staying mindful.

Q: Can mindfulness really make me better at a skill?
A: Absolutely. Research shows that mindfulness helps improve focus, reduces stress, and can even speed up skill acquisition (Jain et al., 2007). When you're fully engaged in what you're doing, your brain absorbs the experience more effectively, making it easier to improve over time. Plus, mindfulness reduces the mental fatigue that often leads to burnout, helping you stick with the practice for longer.

Q: What if I don’t have time for a long, mindful practice?
A: That’s okay! Even short bursts of mindful practice can be beneficial. The key is to be fully present, even if you only have 10 or 15 minutes. Quality matters more than quantity. If you can focus deeply for short periods, you'll still see improvement in both your skill and your mindfulness.

References

Jain, S., Shapiro, S. L., Swanick, S., Roesch, S. C., Mills, P. J., Bell, I., & Schwartz, G. E. (2007). A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 33(1), 11-21. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15324796abm3301_2

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row.

Seppälä, E. M., Simon-Thomas, E., Brown, S. L., Worline, M. C., Cameron, C. D., & Doty, J. R. (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190464684.001.0001