In this week’s episode Brooke and Ben continue their month of Mindful Moments for the Slow Experiment, looking at the technique of mindful attention or observation. This is something that Brooke has been practicing for a few years now, and is an excellent example of just how simple mindfulness can be.

At its core, mindfulness is paying attention, and this technique takes that to a granular level. Try sitting in study of a tiny detail for a couple of minutes, noticing something you wouldn’t have otherwise, and then see how you feel afterwards. Another way to do this is a body scan, where you sit and rotate your awareness through each of your five senses for a couple of minutes in total - getting very specific about what you can see, hear, smell, touch and taste. Brooke still remembers the impact this had on her at the height of her overwhelm and depression years ago, and the way it would pull her into the present moment and out of resentment and anxiety.

For Ben, this mindful attention technique translates to the workplace as single-tasking. After years of being told multitasking is gold, he now breaks projects down into tasks and then works through those tasks one at a time, focusing on nothing else until the one at hand is complete.

There are so many benefits to these techniques of stripped-back mindfulness. Brooke shares a study she found that said even after one week of a short daily mindfulness practice, participants showed significant improvements in attention, energy and ability to cope with stress, as well as in processing, working memory and executive functioning.

We’d love to hear how you’re going if you’re playing along, and whether you’ve noticed any benefits like these. Let us know how you go - connect on Facebook and Instagram. To read more about the episode, head over to http://slowyourhome.com/255/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post. 

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If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially and join in on our live monthly video calls.

And thanks so much for listening!

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In this week&rsquo;s episode Brooke and Ben continue their month of Mindful Moments for the Slow Experiment, looking at the technique of mindful attention or observation. This is something that Brooke has been practicing for a few years now, and is an excellent example of just how simple mindfulness can be.
At its core, mindfulness is paying attention, and this technique takes that to a granular level. Try sitting in study of a tiny detail for a couple of minutes, noticing something you wouldn&rsquo;t have otherwise, and then see how you feel afterwards. Another way to do this is a body scan, where you sit and rotate your awareness through each of your five senses for a couple of minutes in total - getting very specific about what you can see, hear, smell, touch and taste. Brooke still remembers the impact this had on her at the height of her overwhelm and depression years ago, and the way it would pull her into the present moment and out of resentment and anxiety.
For Ben, this mindful attention technique translates to the workplace as single-tasking. After years of being told multitasking is gold, he now breaks projects down into tasks and then works through those tasks one at a time, focusing on nothing else until the one at hand is complete.
There are so many benefits to these techniques of stripped-back mindfulness. Brooke shares a study she found that said even after one week of a short daily mindfulness practice, participants showed significant improvements in attention, energy and ability to cope with stress, as well as in processing, working memory and executive functioning.
We&rsquo;d love to hear how you&rsquo;re going if you&rsquo;re playing along, and whether you&rsquo;ve noticed any benefits like these. Let us know how you go - connect on Facebook and Instagram. To read more about the episode, head over to <a href="http://slowyourhome.com/255/">http://slowyourhome.com/255/</a> for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post.&nbsp;
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If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/slow-home-podcast-brooke-mcalary/id985005895?mt=2">leave a rating or a review in iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.patreon.com/slow">head over to the Patreon page</a> to help support the show financially and join in on our live monthly video calls.
And thanks so much for listening!
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To strive is human, to saunter divine. Welcome to The Tortoise - a podcast that digs deep into the power of slow. Brooke McAlary (author of "Slow", "Care" and "Destination Simple") is joined by her husband Ben for a monthly deep dive into the realities of trying to live slow in a world that won't stop racing. On the third Thursday of every month, join Brooke and Ben for an unscripted, unedited, always candid and usually fun conversation about slow living and how embracing our inner tortoise can impact every part of life: relationships, work, family, community, tech, health, care, personal growth. If you’re burnt out, overwhelmed, frustrated at the sheer pace of life or just looking for a sign to slow down, this is the podcast (a plodcast!) for you.

To strive is human, to saunter divine. Welcome to The Tortoise - a podcast that digs deep into the power of slow. Brooke McAlary (author of "Slow", "Care" and "Destination Simple") is joined by her husband Ben for a monthly deep dive into the realities of trying to live slow in a world that won't stop racing. On the third Thursday of every month, join Brooke and Ben for an unscripted, unedited, always candid and usually fun conversation about slow living and how embracing our inner tortoise can impact every part of life: relationships, work, family, community, tech, health, care, personal growth. If you’re burnt out, overwhelmed, frustrated at the sheer pace of life or just looking for a sign to slow down, this is the podcast (a plodcast!) for you.

Good conversations on what it really looks like to live a slower life.

The Tortoise with Brooke McAlary

To strive is human, to saunter divine. Welcome to The Tortoise - a podcast that digs deep into the power of slow. Brooke McAlary (author of "Slow", "Care" and "Destination Simple") is joined by her husband Ben for a monthly deep dive into the realities of trying to live slow in a world that won't stop racing. On the third Thursday of every month, join Brooke and Ben for an unscripted, unedited, always candid and usually fun conversation about slow living and how embracing our inner tortoise can impact every part of life: relationships, work, family, community, tech, health, care, personal growth. If you’re burnt out, overwhelmed, frustrated at the sheer pace of life or just looking for a sign to slow down, this is the podcast (a plodcast!) for you.

In this week's Mindful Moments episode Brooke and Ben look at the powerful practice of mindful observation.

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