Ad. Do you enjoy a mindful coffee in the morning? When your mornings are busy, it can start the day wrong. Many people have a quick glug of coffee as they are running out the door. But there is a better way to tackle your mornings. And yes, it can still involve your much-needed mug of coffee – in fact, it can be built around it. 

So how can you have a mindful morning that features coffee in a big way? 

What is mindfulness (in short)?

In the shortest explanation, mindfulness is being more in the moment. Not thinking about what you have coming up, not dwelling on the things that have happened. It is a gentle and conscious way of being in the right now. 

There are some principles that go with mindfulness, but you can add them into your practice as you get better at it – for now, start with your coffee. 

How can you be mindful with coffee? 

How much coffee do you drink a day? If you drink so much, you can’t even remember, then you might not really be enjoying what you are drinking – instead, you’re reaching for caffeine through habit. 

Drinking your coffee mindfully is about taking a moment to enjoy it properly. You’ll pay attention to how you make it, where the beans are from (because they taste different and are for different things), the smell, and the warmth. How does it taste if you hold it in your mouth for a second longer before you drink it down? 

That pause, the moment, can give you a chance to relax your shoulders, unclench your jaw, relax your face and take a second. 

So how do you get started? 

The Coffee

The most important part! What coffee do you drink now? Are there any that you want to try? If you have the budget to do so and the time to research, take a look at the options you have available. 

Make a list of coffees that you’d like to try. Take a look at single origin coffee, the difference between the origin of the beans (and what it brings to the brew), what crema is – and how to achieve it. 

Get yourself the best coffee you can afford. 

Nothing else 

Laptop on the side, mobile device in hand, and a lot on your mind. All of those things make it difficult to get a little clarity and a little space mentally. Instead, put everything aside, and for that 5 minutes, make it just about doing that one thing. In this case, it is making your coffee (but you can apply it elsewhere). Focus on only what you are doing right at that moment – which is making and drinking coffee. 

Senses 

Engage all of your senses, smell your coffee, listen to the machine making it, and feel the warmth of the mug or cup. Engaging all of your senses will help you to focus on being in the moment a little more. 

Take a few minutes in the morning – even if you need to get up early – to truly enjoy your coffee, and get a little peace. 

Mindfulness has been shown to help with irritability, increase empathy, lower stress levels and better communication and coffee (in moderation) has some health benefits too. If high-stress levels are something that you struggle with, here are some ways to help: 9 Tips To Effectively Manage Stress In Your Life

So are you going to have a mindful coffee each morning now?