If you have been reading about mindful eating, you know many of the “rules” associated
with it. Remove distractions, stop eating at your desk, turn the TV off, and focus on your
food. This might not feel natural right now, but don’t worry; it does in time.

– All Habits Begin with Routines

All habits, no matter what they are, start with routines. You decide what you want to
change in your life and add it to your daily routine. Eventually, when you do it often
enough, it just becomes a habit. Something you don’t even have to think about. This is
how mindful eating works.

When you first start, it isn’t going to feel very natural, because you are adding it to your
daily routine and schedule. But the more you do it, the more the habit forms, and the
easier it is to do without thinking too much about it.

– The More You Practice, the Easier it Becomes

As you work more on your mindful eating routine, you will notice that it keeps getting
easier and easier. You adjust to sitting quietly and focusing on your senses while you
eat, journaling how each food makes you feel, and paying more attention to your body’s
cues for hunger and fullness.

When you get to the point where even during meals you hadn’t intend to practice
mindfulness, you did anyway, that is when you know it has started to become more
natural to you. It is a great sign!

– Think of the Times When You Are Unconsciously Mindful

There are probably times in the day when you tend to be more mindful, without even
realizing it. This might be when you are in the shower or brushing your teeth, and are
focusing on the task at hand instead of other thoughts or worries. The same can work
with mindfulness.

Perhaps you notice that when brushing your teeth, you only think about the act of
brushing your teeth, or when you get gas, your mind doesn’t wander as much as it used
to. These are signs that mindfulness is working.

– Practice When You Have Distractions

Lastly, start practicing more mindful strategies even when you have distractions. Not
just while eating, but while performing other tasks during the day. Maybe you turn off the
radio when you are driving and instead focus on just one thing on your drive, or you try
to be more mindful when in a crowded room.

See you soon,

Anne-Vasthi!