Lachlan Brown
There’s a certain kind of ache that comes from always feeling like you’re one step behind your own life.
You’re physically here, but mentally already at the next meeting, worrying about the future, or replaying something that happened three days ago. I know that feeling all too well.
For years, I lived mostly in my head—thinking, planning, analyzing. And while that had its benefits, it also left me with a subtle but constant restlessness. Peace always felt just out of reach.
That started to change when I began reading the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. His way of speaking about mindfulness wasn’t rigid or mystical. It was simple, practical, and rooted in everyday life.
“The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all other moments.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
Over time, I felt less reactive, more aware, and more present.
In this article, I’ll share several everyday mindfulness practices inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh, along with what the research on meditation can and can’t tell us.
Why being present changes everything
The “default mode network” is a group of brain regions that tends to be active when the mind is at rest or wandering.
Some research has found differences in default-mode-network activity among people who meditate.
A 2011 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, for example, compared 12 highly experienced meditators, who averaged roughly 10,565 hours of practice, with 12 controls. Those were long-term practitioners, so the findings say more about years of practice than about a short daily exercise.
But Thich Nhat Hanh didn’t need an fMRI machine to see the value of coming back to the present. He taught that when we come back to the present moment, we free ourselves from the tyranny of the past and the anxiety of the future.
“Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
For me, returning attention to the breath, the sky, or a cup of tea can interrupt autopilot and create a pause.
The power of conscious breathing
Thich Nhat Hanh’s most well-known teaching is also his most accessible:
“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is the only moment.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
It might sound too simple to matter. But breath-centered meditation is central to both Buddhist and modern mindfulness traditions.
For some people, slow, comfortable breathing is settling. Forced deep breathing or breath control can cause dizziness, breathlessness, or anxiety, so keep it gentle.
When I first started practicing this technique, I noticed a surprising side effect: I began responding to stress instead of reacting to it. The pause created by the breath gave me just enough space to choose differently.
Over time, the breath became a personal cue for me to pause before reacting.
That is how a familiar habit can develop: through repeated moments of returning attention.
Walking as meditation, not escape
Thich Nhat Hanh often said, “Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.”
He viewed walking not as a way to get somewhere, but as a practice in presence.
A small study in the International Journal of Exercise Science measured 44 university students before and after a guided mindful walk. It reported changes in mindfulness, state anxiety, and state stress, though there was no comparison group.
When I began walking mindfully, I realized how often I used walking to distract myself—plugged into a podcast or rushing to check something off a list.
But walking slowly, in silence, changed the rhythm of my thinking. I could feel my attention anchoring in my body, in the ground beneath me, in the moment unfolding without judgment.
If you want to try it, start with one block and notice your steps, breath, sounds, and the feel of the ground. If the exercise feels uncomfortable or unsafe, change it or stop.
The bell of mindfulness in daily life
One of Thich Nhat Hanh’s lesser-known but profoundly powerful practices is the use of a “bell of mindfulness.”
“When you hear the telephone bell, just sit wherever you are and enjoy breathing in and out. The sound of the telephone is the bell of mindfulness.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
In his Plum Village community, a physical bell rings at intervals throughout the day. When it rings, everyone pauses whatever they’re doing and takes a mindful breath.
You can create your own version of this practice. I use the sound of my phone notification as a modern bell. Instead of reacting immediately, I take one breath before I respond.
It’s a tiny shift, but it changes the tone of my interactions—especially in moments of stress.
A brief pause before responding can give some people time to notice what they want to say.
A brief attention practice
Here is one of my favorite daily practices, inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh.
- Sit comfortably, eyes open or closed.
- Inhale and mentally say, “Here.”
- Exhale and mentally say, “Now.”
- Do this for 10 breaths.
That’s it: breath and presence. The point is simply to bring your attention back to what you can feel right now.
I’ve found that doing this before work meetings or social events helps me show up with more clarity and calm. It’s not a magic fix. But it creates space—for choice, for presence, for a different way of being.
Mindfulness as a path to emotional balance
There’s a common myth that mindfulness means feeling calm all the time. But Thich Nhat Hanh reminded us that mindfulness isn’t about eliminating emotions. It’s about creating space to meet them with compassion.
“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
When you bring awareness to anger, sadness, or fear, you may notice a little distance between the feeling and your response. It won’t always happen, and it’s no substitute for mental-health care when you need it.
In Buddhist practice, observing a feeling without treating it as an identity can be a useful perspective.
Final thoughts
We live in a world designed to fragment our attention and disconnect us from ourselves. Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings are a reminder that we don’t need to escape our lives to find peace. We just need to show up for them.
A breath, a step, or a moment of stillness can be a personal cue to notice the present.
If the practice feels settling, come back to it whenever you like. If it increases anxiety, panic, dissociation, traumatic memories, or impaired functioning, stop or modify it and seek qualified support.
Presence is a practice, and you can begin it with your next breath.
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