Mindfulness is all about being present–literally beginning wherever you are.

But sometimes this practice can feel boring because we are so familiar with our surroundings, especially while being stuck at home and unable to engage in the discoveries of a new school year (at least in the ways we might have wanted to). In fact, without regular change, we can easily feel stuck, developing what is termed “inattentional blindness,” and therefore feel uninspired to stretch ourselves mentally and physically.

Mindfulness can help us to see the familiar from a new perspective, because mindfulness is simply a practice in paying attention. To combat the deflating experience of “inattentional blindness,” your job this week is to notice something new everyday. Spend some time focusing on your familiar surroundings with the intention to notice something new, or at least unexpected. What you notice does not have to particularly exciting (in fact, mindfulness is about suspending judgements of all kinds momentarily).

Write a 300-500 word journal entry about your experience “noticing something new” in a familiar place. What did your practice reveal about the space? about your mental focus? about how you relate to space? How might this practice of “noticing something new” be applied to communication with others?