Instead of just adding mindfulness to the list of things we need to do to be healthy, look for ways to apply it to the obstacles related to taking better care of yourself.

What keeps us holding out for these perfect, comfortable lives that we imagine? And how can training your attention help address these habits?

What makes it so difficult for us to pay attention at any given moment? It seems like it should be easy.

It seems like stepping outside for a walk should be enough to clear our minds, but when we head outdoors, our attention tends to stay anchored in our heads. What we need is a practical focus strategy and more realistic expectations about how our minds respond to such a challenge.

Our attention is habitually drawn to problems. However, we can train ourselves to notice rest and relaxation hiding within our regular routine. Setting aside some time to get more acquainted with what rest feels like in the body can support this exploration.

Mindfulness practice involves tracking aspects of ordinary experience as precisely as possible while allowing these observations to come and go with less interference. The noting technique creates a structure for maintaining both of these qualities of attention. Using mental labels is a technique that supports noting.