How Can I Hang Onto Mindfulness in My Crazy Busy Life?

A reporter once asked the Dalai Lama, "How are you able to fit in daily meditation with such a busy schedule?"

The Dalai Lama smiled gently and said, "On normal days, I meditate for one hour. On very busy days, I meditate for two."

It's a paradox that catches people off guard.

Because for most of us, when things get stressful, the very first thing we drop is the thing that could help us the most: stillness.

As responsibilities pile up, deadlines loom, and notifications chirp endlessly, we often say, "I don't have time to slow down." And yet, if we're honest, we know that racing through life without pause is costing us something—focus, connection, peace of mind, maybe even our health.

As the old saying goes, "The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get."

But mindfulness isn't just about sitting on a cushion. It's about presence. And it's not something only monks and yogis can access. It's available to all of us—even in the middle of chaos.

Let’s unpack what mindfulness really looks like in a busy life, how it shows up in therapy, and how you can begin reclaiming it—no matter how packed your schedule is.

The Myth of "When Things Slow Down"

There's a common fantasy I hear in the therapy room: "When things slow down, I'll finally start meditating again. I'll take better care of myself. I'll feel more grounded."

But for many professionals, things rarely slow down. If anything, they speed up. Projects expand. Kids grow. Expectations rise.

And so, we wait for an imaginary break that never comes—hoping for peace while running full tilt.

But here's the truth: you don't need an empty calendar to be mindful. You need a shift in how you relate to your life.

This is where Somatic Experiencing and Gestalt therapy offer a powerful lens.

Mindfulness Through a Somatic Lens

In Somatic Experiencing (SE), mindfulness isn't about clearing your mind or achieving some perfect zen state. It's about coming home to your body. Noticing your breath, your tension, your internal pacing.

One client—let's call her Rachel—came to therapy because she was burned out, stuck in what she described as "productive panic mode." She was a project manager, juggling a heavy workload and caring for an aging parent. Her body, she said, felt "like it was always vibrating."

We didn’t start with meditation. We started with noticing.

“What happens when you let your shoulders drop just a little?”

“What’s it like to feel the chair under you?”

“Can we pause for ten seconds and track your breath?”

At first, Rachel felt awkward—like these slow moments were "wasting time." But soon, she began to feel the value: a subtle sense of calm, a doorway out of her stress loop.

The more we practiced, the more she could catch herself in the middle of the day and say, “Wait. I’m rushing. I’m bracing. I need to breathe.”

That is mindfulness. That is healing.

Mindfulness in Gestalt: The Power of Contact

Gestalt therapy also offers a helpful frame: the idea of contact. In Gestalt, mindfulness is not separate from life; it is an integral part of it. We are fully in contact with our experience.

When you're drinking your coffee and actually tasting it—that's contact.

When you're in a meeting and you simply notice the tightness in your jaw—that's contact.

When you feel an emotion and let it be there without judgment—that's contact.

And here's the thing: you don't need more time for that. You need intention.

One of my clients—a surgeon—once told me he didn't have time for mindfulness because he worked 12-hour shifts.

So I asked, "Do you wash your hands before every surgery?"

He said, "Of course."

"Then you already have 20 moments a day where you can pause, breathe, feel the water, and come back to yourself."

He started using those 30-second hand-washing routines as grounding rituals—and reported fewer panic attacks within the month.

Why We Abandon Mindfulness When We Need It Most

Neuroscience helps us understand why this is so hard.

When we're under stress, our sympathetic nervous system kicks in. The brain's threat detectors go on high alert. We scan, rush, react. Our ability to slow down and be present shrinks—because biologically, we're not wired to sit quietly in the middle of a lion attack.

But here's the catch: most modern "threats" aren't lions. They're emails. Bills. Expectations. Family dynamics. And those don't go away with fight or flight. They require presence.

Without mindfulness, we live in a kind of functional overwhelm—getting through the day, but never really in it.

The good news is that mindfulness brings us back online. Even short moments of presence re-engage the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of us that can rest, digest, and actually heal.

Micro-Mindfulness: 5 Ways to Practice Without "More Time"

You don't need an hour. You don't need silence. You don't even need to sit cross-legged. You need moments of real connection.

Here are five simple practices to integrate mindfulness into your real, chaotic, beautiful life:

1. The 5-Second Body Scan

Pause for five seconds. Notice where your body touches the chair. Feel your feet. Release your jaw. That's it. Come back to your body.

2. Sensory Anchoring

Pick one sense to focus on for a minute. Listen to the hum of your fridge. Smell your coffee. Feel the texture of your sweater. This grounds your nervous system.

3. Mindful Transitions

When you switch tasks—say from email to a meeting—pause for one breath. Let go of the last thing. Orient to the new one. Let your mind arrive with you.

4. Naming What's Here

Silently say, "This is stress." Or "This is tired." Or "This is longing." Naming our experience reduces overwhelm and increases agency.

5. Stack Mindfulness Onto Existing Routines

Waiting at a red light? Washing dishes? Brushing teeth? These are perfect mindfulness moments. No extra time required.

Mindful Parenting: Why It Matters for Your Kids Too

If you're a parent, you already know how fast life moves. But here's something many of us forget: our children are learning how to handle stress—by watching us handle ours.

When we rush, snap, numb out, or over-function, our kids feel it. Their nervous systems tune into ours, whether we want them to or not. That's why mindfulness isn't just a personal wellness practice—it's a parenting skill.

When we model mindful transitions, calming breath, or simply name our own overwhelm (“Wow, I’m feeling really tired right now”), we show our children how to navigate their own stress without shame or shutdown.

We don’t have to be perfect—we just have to be present.

One client I worked with shared that after a few months of practicing breathwork and grounding techniques, her six-year-old began putting a hand on her chest during tantrums, saying, “I’m breathing like you, Mom.”

That’s the power of modeling.

When we come back to ourselves, we create a home where everyone’s nervous system gets to settle.

Where connection replaces reactivity.

Where calm is something we co-create—not just crave.

A Personal Story: My Own Struggle with Busyness

I'll be honest—I don't write this from a place of perfect mastery.

There are days I wake up and immediately reach for my phone. Days I rush from session to meeting to dinner with barely a pause—days when even my own mindfulness practices feel out of reach.

But I've also learned this: when I lose my grounding, I don't shame myself—I return.

Even if it's one deep breath with my hand on my chest. Even if it's standing outside for 60 seconds before going back in.

Because mindfulness isn't about doing it perfectly. It's about coming back.

Over and over again.

What Happens When We Return to Ourselves

When we make space for mindfulness—even in slivers—we begin to change.

• We respond instead of react.

• We catch tension before it becomes burnout.

• We connect more deeply with others.

• We soften our inner critic.

• We start to feel like ourselves again.

And when that happens, we don't just get through our busy lives—we start to live them.

A Gentle Invitation

If you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or just disconnected, you're not alone.

You don’t have to go on a silent retreat or overhaul your entire life to feel better. You just have to start where you are.

At Bridge Counseling, our therapists help people like you reconnect with themselves through simple, practical tools rooted in mindfulness, Somatic Experiencing, and other experiential approaches. Whether you're new to therapy or returning after a break, we'll meet you with compassion, insight, and support.

👉 Book a session with one of our team members today

👉 Or explore our online courses for self-guided support

You don't have to do this alone.

"On normal days, I meditate for one hour. On very busy days, I meditate for two."

– The Dalai Lama

May we all learn to pause when the world tells us to speed up—because the path to peace isn't found in escaping the chaos, but in learning to breathe within it.