5-minute mindfulness activities that are perfect for freelancers

So, you became a freelancer for all the flexibility and doing things your way, and then you got hit with the reality that life as a small biz owner is actually really hard! Whether you’re juggling too much work, too little work or tricky clients, there’s always a little extra spice in freelancer life.

Now before you consider throwing it all in, working as a freelancer can be a beautiful thing, it just requires you to be intentional with your energy. Setting boundaries with clients, closing the laptop at 5pm and incorporating practices such as mindfulness into your day.

Chances are you’ve heard of mindfulness, but we bet you didn’t realise how easy it is to incorporate it into your day. That’s why we’ve gathered these 5-minute mindfulness activities that are perfect for freelancers. We’ve found them really helpful, and we hope you do too.

Why Practise Mindfulness at Work?

If you leave self-care to the end of the day, chances are you’ll already be feeling burnt out. We don’t always do what’s best for ourselves when we’re tired. By practising mindfulness in the workplace we can boost our mood, and energy levels and help ourselves to feel balanced throughout the day.

The good news is that even a short mindfulness exercise can have a positive impact. They’re perfect for those working from home and many are discrete, so they’re ideal for those who co-work or work in public spaces such as a café.

5-minute Mindfulness Activities

It only takes 5 minutes to reset your mind and put your stress aside. Try these simple mindfulness exercises when you need a boost.

Mindful Listening

Unplug your earphones, or if you’re in a noisy space, maybe step outside. This activity involves turning into your sense of hearing. Mindfulness comes from a place of acceptance, so take the time to simply notice the sounds that you hear in your environment. If you hear the hum of the freeway, simply notice it. Let smaller sounds, such as the breeze and birds in the trees, flow into your mind. Hear them without wondering why. Just enjoy the sounds that they make and the layers of sound in your environment.

Great For: Clearing the mind of unnecessary thoughts. Having sounds to focus on is easier than trying to clear the mind of all thoughts.

Skip This One If: Your environment is particularly noisy.

Body Scan Meditation

Body scan meditation is a guided meditation that helps you to relax the body. Headspace offers a free 3-minute body scan meditation that guides you through a sequence designed to help you notice and release tension in your body. A full body scan meditation can take up to 30 minutes, so you may like to practice a more extended version at home.

Great For: Those feeling tension or stress within their body.

Skip This One If: Your environment is noisy, or you’re not in a space where you can play a guided track.

Mindful Eating

It’s tempting to scoff down lunch as we quickly complete a job, but this isn’t great for our mindset or our digestion. When we eat lunch mindlessly at our desks, we miss the opportunity to enjoy our food. Mindful eating encourages us to take small purposeful mouthfuls of food. Pay attention to the flavours and textures of what you are eating. Only take the next bite once you’ve swallowed and noticed how each mouthful feels slightly different within your mouth. 

You don’t need fancy food to complete this mindfulness activity, just an openness to paying attention to an ordinary everyday activity.

Great For: Those who suffer from an anxious tummy or indigestion.

Skip This One If: We can’t think of a reason to skip this one, but if you’re in a hurry and can’t fully embrace mindful eating, try eating at a less rushed pace.

Notice Four Things

If you need to reduce stress and bring yourself back into the present moment, taking the time to notice four things is a quick and effective way to do so. First, stop and take a breath and then look around your space. Consciously notice four things in your environment. You might notice things like:

  • The way to sunshine slices a line through the floor of your study

  • Your house plant forming new buds

  • The feeling of your woollen socks warming your feet

  • A picture of your family that you keep on your desk

Once you’ve finished noticing, take another breath and return to your work. 

Great For: Those feeling like their mind or stress levels are running away from them.

Skip This One If: You respond better to activities that involve physical touch.

Mindful Breathing

Mindfulness breathing is an incredibly powerful way to reduce stress, lower our heart rate and bring our focus back to our bodies. Mindfulness breathing begins by finding a comfortable place to sit, stand or lay down. Take a slow, deep breath in and hold it for a moment before exhaling. Repeat 5 times, making sure that your focus is placed on your breath and how your body is feeling.

If you’ve not tried mindfulness breathing before, go slowly. Taking big breaths can leave you feeling a little light-headed. Smaller breaths are fine, and with time your capacity to take deeper breaths will increase. Guided breathing exercises can also be found on YouTube if you like the idea of someone talking you through it. 

Great For: Those needing to slow their heart rate and ease the tension in their chest.

Skip This One If: You have a cold and check in with your doctor first if you have asthma or a respiratory condition.

Have these mindfulness activities helped you? Share to your stories and tag us @coolwowcollective, or send us a DM.

Mindset, WellbeingRachel Andersonmindfulness, mindfulness in the workplace