Do What You Love: Mindfulness Hidden in Plain Sight
We make mindfulness sound complicated. Sit on a cushion. Count your breaths. Empty your mind. But here’s the truth: you already know how to be mindful.
Think about the things you love to do most—the hobbies you naturally choose when you finally get a day off.
If I asked you, “What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?” would you ever say, “Worry about work” or “Ruminate on arguments at home”? Of course not.
You’d say: ride my motorcycle. Go fishing. Run. Read. Put on headphones and lose myself in music. Cook. Garden.
And here’s why those things matter:
When you’re doing them, the rest of the world disappears. You’re not replaying yesterday. You’re not bracing for tomorrow. You’re here—immersed, alive, fully present.
That’s not an accident. That’s mindfulness.
Why This Works
Science has shown that being deeply engaged in something we love—what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi called “flow”—activates the same networks of attention, focus, and calm as traditional mindfulness practices (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).
Reduced Stress: Engaging hobbies lower cortisol levels, giving your nervous system a break from constant fight-or-flight activation (Pressman et al., 2009).
Improved Health: People who regularly engage in leisure activities have lower blood pressure, smaller waist circumference, and better overall physical health (Paggi, Jopp, & Hertzog, 2016).
Resilience Boost: A study of first responders found that regular engagement in personally meaningful activities improved recovery from traumatic stress by enhancing emotional regulation and social connection (Kleim & Westphal, 2011).
In other words, your hobbies aren’t just hobbies. They’re medicine. They’re mindfulness. They’re resilience—without ever needing to label them that way.
Stress Resilience is Simpler Than You Think
So often we think healing requires massive change—new programs, hours of training, or adding more to an already packed schedule. But sometimes, resilience is already in your life. It’s the fishing rod in the garage. The guitar leaning in the corner. The sneakers waiting by the door.
What if instead of trying to invent something new, you gave yourself permission to simply do more of what you love—and let that be your mindfulness practice?
The Challenge
This week, make it real:
Choose your thing. What hobby or activity makes the world fall away when you’re in it?
Schedule it. At least three times this week, carve out one uninterrupted hour. Put it on your calendar.
Protect it. No phone. No distractions. Just you, fully alive in the moment you love.
This is your practice. This is mindfulness in motion.
Stress resilience doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, it’s as simple as remembering what lights you up—and then giving yourself the space to actually do it.
Call to Action: Don’t wait until burnout forces you to find relief. Reclaim your joy now. Commit to three mindful hours of doing what you love this week—and watch how it transforms not just your mood, but your entire capacity to meet the demands of your life.