Mindfulness is the practice of being present and aware; it means acknowledging whatever you’re feeling, sensing, and thinking in a calm and nonjudgmental way. According to Dr. Urgola, this mindset can be used in the moment to get through tough experiences, like running late to work or arguing with your partner, say. When practiced regularly, it can also spark long-term changes in how you connect with your thoughts, Dr. Urgola adds. Over time, this can improve your ability to navigate mental health struggles—namely stress, anxiety, and depression—she says.

While learning how to meditate is certainly one form of mindfulness practice, it’s not the only way to increase your present-moment awareness. But don’t take our word for it: We asked experts for quick, simple mindfulness exercises that can be added to just about any schedule. Below, you’ll get an overview of some of the benefits of mindfulness, as well as how to practice mindful awareness without meditation—whether you’re low on time or simply looking for some short and sweet relief. 

What are some of the benefits of mindfulness?

If you’re new to mindfulness, the popularity of the practice can (understandably) make it hard to take seriously. That being said, the buzz surrounding it is pretty legit, as there’s a growing body of evidence supporting the benefits of mindfulness for mental health. 

In a 2021 study published in the Frontiers in Psychology, for example, people who participated in a six-week mindfulness course reported lower stress levels.1 Similarly, a 2019 study in the same journal found that mindfulness meditation helped improve depression and anxiety symptoms, partly by reducing worry and rumination (thinking about something over and over and over again).2 And get this: A 2022 randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry found mindfulness-based stress reduction to be just as effective as escitalopram, an SSRI that’s a first-line prescription medication for anxiety and depression. That’s not to say it’s the answer to everyone’s mental health issues but, more and more, mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to be a legitimate treatment option. 

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How does mindfulness work?

The mental well-being effects of mindfulness can largely be traced back to the way it helps you navigate stressors, Cassandra Vieten, PhD, licensed clinical psychologist and executive director of the University of California San Diego Center for Mindfulness, tells SELF. Dr. Urgola echoes this concept, noting that stress and anxiety are often related to the way you think about a situation rather than the situation itself. Specifically, she says, these mentally distressing states tend to occur when you overconnect and identify with negative thoughts, causing you to treat them as reality.

Try these simple mindfulness exercises next time you need to chill out.

1. Three-minute breathing space

This quick exercise takes just three minutes to do, making it realistic for those busy, busy days. According to Dr. Vieten, it’s commonly used in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, a type of therapy that has been shown to improve symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.7

Here’s how to practice the “three-minute breathing space” technique, as described by Dr. Vieten:

  1. Set a timer for three minutes.
  2. Sit in a comfortable position if you can (though standing works too), ideally in a relatively calm environment (the bathroom counts), and close your eyes if you want. Notice what’s happening in your mind and body right now. Are you worrying about a problem or mistake? Do you feel warm or cold? Is there a distracting sound in your environment? Simply notice whatever you’re experiencing at the moment.
  3. Bring your full attention to your breath, focusing on the sensation of the air flowing in and out of your body.
  4. Expand your zone of awareness further out from your breathing so that it includes your whole body. You might notice your posture, your facial expression, or areas of muscle tension. Again, simply pay attention to whatever’s going on with your body.

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2. Listening mindfulness

For Dr. Urgola, zeroing in on sounds is one of her favorite ways to implement mindful living. It involves focusing on a specific sound in your current environment—whether that’s on a bus, say, or in your kitchen—for several minutes. “Maybe it’s something obvious and loud, or maybe it’s something in the background,” says Dr. Urgola. Anything goes, really. 

After you’ve identified a sound—distant traffic, the steady hum of an air conditioner, your neighbor’s too-loud TV—follow this easy mindful-listening technique:

  1. Close your eyes if it feels good. If not, find a spot in your space to softly gaze at (relax your eyes and don’t focus on anything specific).
  2. Listen deeply to that sound. Take note of its tone (Is it soft? Buzzy? Harsh?), rhythm (maybe it’s steady or irregular), and volume.
  3. Stay with the sound as best you can. If your mind wanders off, that’s okay; just acknowledge that and come back to the sound. You can even imagine your distracting thoughts drifting away from you on a balloon or floating down a stream on a leaf, suggests Dr. Urgola.
  4. End the exercise whenever you feel ready to stop.