In the beginning of your mindful eating journey, it might feel like every meal has a lot of
rules tied to it. This is because you are sitting mostly in silence and really paying more
attention to your food as you work on being present. But that doesn’t mean you will
have these rules forever.
Practice First, Then Become More Flexible
Keep in mind that the rules or guidelines of mindful eating won’t always feel like a chore.
Over time, you will definitely just do it naturally and can become more flexible, but they
help tremendously in the beginning when you are coming from a place of eating
mindlessly.
The “rules” aren’t really rules at all, but a set of guidelines to help you be successful with
mindful eating and develop proper mindfulness habits. This includes:
Eating without distractions.
Focusing on your food.
Tapping into your different senses.
Eating slower and chewing more for each bite.
Paying attention to how your body feels.
Try Being Mindful in Less Than Perfect Situations
Another way to practice mindful eating without having all the rules is to try being mindful
in less than perfect situations. This might be when your roommate or spouse has the TV
turned up during dinner time, or when there is a lot of commotion around you.
This is a great time to practice on your mindful skills, and see how much distraction you
can handle before you stop paying attention to your food. Over time, you will be able to
handle a lot more noise around you without realizing you ate a half bag of Oreo’s
without stopping because you got caught up in a podcast episode.
Use Mindfulness in Other Areas of Your Life
You can also practice your mindfulness skills in other areas of your life, whether you are
driving to work or in the shower. Any time you are participating in an activity where you
can really focus on it, try being more mindful. It can be when you are going for a walk,
putting on a face mask, making breakfast for your kids, writing in your journal, or just
sitting quietly at work during your afternoon break.
Mindfulness is not just done while eating, but for every area of your life. You can be
mindful and intuitive with your exercise, parenting, daily routines and habits, and so
much more.
