I will always remember the day I truly experienced the power of mindfulness on-demand. It was one morning during the first few years of Covid, a time when anxiety was high for everyone. I live half a block away from a three-way stop where most cars barely pause, let alone stop completely. On this particular day, my anxiety was higher than usual, and I was terrified that a pedestrian trying to cross the street would get hit by one of those speeding cars.

I went to the kitchen to share my worry with my partner, and his response was a simple, ‘Oh yes, for sure.’ Triggered by what I felt was a dismissive reply—compounded by my lifelong struggles with anxiety, depression, and trauma—I reacted almost immediately. But then, the mindfulness kicked in on-demand. I caught myself in the midst of my reaction, took a breath, and asked him to wait for me. I retreated to my bedroom to take a few more breaths and reflect.

I asked myself, ‘Is there really something wrong with his reply, or is it just my interpretation?’ I decided to clarify with him. Returning to the conversation, I asked if he was against me or on my side. His answer was clear and reassuring: ‘I’m on your side. I’ve always been on your side, never against you.’

That moment was a revelation. I realized how often I had been in reaction mode throughout my life, reacting to things that weren’t really there. This is what mindfulness on-demand did for me, and what it can do for you.

[pause. take the time to take a breath]

When you’re swept up by an unpleasant emotion—be it anger, sadness, or frustration—you can’t just pause everything. It’s not feasible to ask someone to wait while you call your therapist or head to a yoga class. However, one simple thing you can do right then and there is take a mindful breath. I like to call this mindfulness on-demand! There’s no waiting, no need to spend money, and no appointments required.

The real challenge is remembering to take that breath. When big emotions hit, our fight, flight, or freeze response kicks, also known as the sympathetic part of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), which manages our body’s unconscious actions. Our cognitive functions, like thinking, aren’t as sharp. That’s why it’s crucial to make this mindful breathing a regular habit, something we embody and do automatically as we start practicing more, not just sporadically when we think we “need it.” Think of it like brushing your teeth—it’s a daily habit developed to prevent issues before they arise and has become automatic. If you don’t brush regularly, you might forget its importance altogether once problems start to surface.

Incorporating Mindfulness Daily

To build this habit, I recommend integrating simple mindfulness exercises into your daily routine, such as mindful breathing or body scans, regardless of your emotional state. Practicing mindfulness daily teaches us to naturally embody this awareness, making it accessible even when our brains are overwhelmed.

Examples of Mindfulness Practices:

• Mindful breathing: This is not to be confused with breathing exercises. Mindful breathing is about observing your breath as it is, right here and now. You can often observe the breath in three areas: around your belly, where the belly usually rises and falls with each breath, in the chest, though it’s often more subtle, and around the nostrils, simply noticing the air coming in and out. Mindfulness is about observing things as they are, so there is no need to force the breath, unless you don’t feel it at all.

• Mindful listening: Simply pause and listen to the sounds around you. Let the sounds come to you. You can also name them if you like, but try not to judge by saying you don’t like a sound or you love a sound. Just notice the sounds around you, right here, right now.

Also, an important note here: I am not asking you to start a mindfulness routine for 30+ minutes per day. If I did, you might not follow through, and I wouldn’t blame you; I wouldn’t either. Start where you are. If you can manage only 1 minute these days, that’s completely fine. You just have to start somewhere.

Mindfulness vs. Other Practices

I’ve explored many wellness practices out there, including yoga, which is highly praised. And while yoga offers tremendous benefits and remains a part of my wellness routine, it didn’t fully bridge the gap between practice and daily stressors. Similarly, while talk therapy has been invaluable for insight, it hasn’t provided me with the tools to alter my reactions in real-time. Retreats offer a wonderful respite from daily life, yet once I would return home, I would find myself unprepared to integrate the peace I found into my regular environment.

Why Mindfulness Stands Out

Mindfulness is different. It doesn’t require a specific setting, special equipment, or even much time. It’s about developing the ability to access a calm, aware state instantaneously, wherever you are. This on-the-spot accessibility is what makes mindfulness uniquely powerful. It changed my life, and I know it has changed many others’. I hope it will change yours if you haven’t tried it yet.

Have you ever felt stuck trying to integrate what you’ve learned in your healing journey into everyday life? I encourage you to share your experiences and try a small challenge: for one week, make a conscious effort to practice at least 1 minute of mindfulness, whichever practice you prefer, and the next time you get triggered, try to notice it and bring that mindful awareness to the forefront. See if you can observe how this simple act of mindfulness can change your response to daily stresses.