While the kettle boils

Often it's the simplest solutions that stick, and when it comes to mindfulness, simplicity is key. You don't need to fly off to a silent retreat to find zen- you can do it while the kettle boils. Here, Charlie Hale shares some basic tools that can make dealing with anxieties much easier. All you need is 60 seconds.

- CHARLIE HALE

A aesthetic purposes, or even to meet any kind of standard, but for a sense of achievement early in the day. I'm sure she's not the initiator of this theory, but she's certainly onto something. Ticking a very attainable task off your list in the first few minutes after getting out of bed sets the tone for a day of achieving. It builds momentum and powers up the army of cheerleaders in your mind. The same, I think, can be said for mindfulness.

Perhaps by dint of reading this magazine, you already have an established mindfulness practice. But if it has fallen by the wayside recently or you've never managed to make anything stick, a more attainable style of mindfulness might be for you.

According to my mother, the reason I should make my bed every morning is not for I've been writing for this magazine for several years now and did a stint as the editor of Well Being's sister magazine WILD, so you can imagine I've spoken to lots of mindfulness experts, researched many a technique and edited countless articles on breathwork, meditation and enlightenment. And yet I have struggled to find a mindfulness practice that works for me, rather than finding myself a slave to a 30-minute guided meditation that leaves me more stressed out than blissed out. 

That was until I discovered what I like to call "while the kettle boils mindfulness". What I've learned is that it's not the length or complexity of the exercise, but simply that you're doing it and doing it regularly. You don't have to fly off to a luxury silent retreat to find enlightenment; you can find it while the kettle boils.

There are plenty of ways to practise "kettle mindfulness". I will take you through some of mine, but there are no hard and fast rules. The idea is that, with a few exercises in your toolkit, mindfulness can be something you practise on the go.