3 Apps to Make Boring Moments Valuable
We often see the simple, boring tasks in life as a waste of our time.
Why do we listen to music when we drive? Why do we spend meetings browsing our phone? Why do we pass off unenjoyable tasks to others? Why do we listen to a podcast, help our kids with homework, AND wash the dishes all at the same time?
A lot of people argue it’s because these days we like to always be entertained. I think what it really comes down to is that we hate the idea of wasting time because time is as precious as it is fleeting.
Mindfulness is simply living in the moment. Not just the exciting, engaging, enthralling ones, but in every one. Mindfulness allow people to find value and purpose in what they’re doing, especially in the monotonous things.
Even the most mundane and simple tasks like mopping the floor, driving in the car, or waiting in line can take on a deeper meaning, a new purpose when you are mindful and present in the moment. If you’ve ever worked on making the ordinary extraordinary in this way, you can attest to the fact that it becomes like a super power.
Sitting in traffic or waiting for your kids in carpool or counting down the minutes til 5 o’clock can transform into some of the most meaningful, sweetest moments you experience.
]And who wouldn’t want to find value in 100% of their time instead of just 50%?
But as we all know, mindfulness is a practice, not a one time experience, so the more you use that tool, the more readily available it will be in any situation.
Here are three free apps that will make you look forward to including mindfulness moments into your day and will give you that super power to never let the mundane get you down and find value where you least expect it.
# 1 : "Calm"
Great variety of mindfulness practices like...
simple breathing exercises, stories to make you fall asleep, including one by Ben Stein... If that doesn’t make you fall asleep, I don’t know what will…
Guided themed meditations like body scan, loving-kindness, forgiveness, etc…
Such a great touch because it’s not just meditation for the sake of calming your body, there’s a greater, guided purpose.
For example, if you are struggling with letting something go, having a meditation geared toward that will do wonders.
Beautiful and realistic landscape images and nature sounds are such a nice touch! - especially for those of us who work in non-nature surroundings.
Mindfulness Reminders: One of my favorite features! It will send you notifications reminding you to set aside a moment to regain your peace.
One more plus: A lot of free content so no purchasing required.
# 2 : "Smiling Mind"
Targeting Options: Meets you where you’re at. There are options for kids, teens, adults, teachers, meditations from one minute to 45, meditations for sports, workplace, meditations on foods, thoughts, nature, gratitude, relationships... It’s the most comprehensive meditation app and it’s a lot more usable andintuitive than most others.
Mindfulness Reminders: You can also set reminders to your phone which is such a helpful feature.
# 3 : "Stop, Breath, and Think" (my newest obsession!)
Customized Meditation: This is a newer app that has grown in immense popularity and is geared toward customizing meditation for you. When you open it up, at the top it asks, “How Are You” and you answer a series of simple questions. Based on those, it suggests a few different meditations that you could do. You can chart your progress and also can select your own meditations from their comprehensive list.
Mindfulness Reminders: You can also set reminders to your phone with this app.
I’m not saying to bust out your app and do yoga in the middle of a DMV line… although that would make for a killer story. Where the super power comes in is setting aside a few times in the day- maybe it’s during your commute or at the end of your lunch time or right before you go to bed- to transform your current moment of mundaneness into a moment of value.
To turn your irritation into joy,
your anger into gratitude,
your loneliness into connection,
your worry into confidence.
The more this becomes HABIT, the more moments of mundaneness are automatically transformed into moments of VALUE.
The more our mindset changes, the more every moment of our life becomes GIFT.
The more you exude these positive qualities, the more ATTRACTIVE and MAGNETIC you’ll naturally be.
Hone in your super power.
