Mindfulness in your daily life
We don't always need to make massive changes to our lives to improve our health. Consider incorporating one or two of these mindfulness exercises into your day and feel your stress levels reduce.
- Mindful Breathing is the most effective way of calming and settling your mind and body. Sit comfortably, close your eyes and for three breaths, focus your attention on the path the air travels in your body and the way it makes your stomach rise and fall. Visualise calm.
- Ground yourself by bringing your attention to your feet, the ground beneath it and where the two connect. Note your breathing pattern. Sense a root extending into the earth and use it as an anchor you when you are feeling unsettled.
- Be present mindfully in the moment. Feel and experience with all your senses whatever you are doing. When you are walking, notice the air on your face, the way your weight shifts and feet lift off the ground. When you are eating, pay attention to the colour, shape, taste and texture of food. When you are having a conversation or reading, notice the words, tone of the voice, what emotions it awakens in you.
- Stop regularly throughout the day and do a reality check. Ask yourself ‘Am I present with what’s happening right now? Did I switch into autopilot? Where did my thoughts wander off? ’ You could even set a reminder on your phone.
- Be mindfully still. Each day, take 10 minutes to pause your day to focus on you, to be still and silent. Don’t feel that you need to be constantly doing something. Select a place where you won’t be disturbed by others or get distracted by technology or TV. Switch off completely to the outside world
- Recognise that thoughts don’t make us who we are. Acknowledge them without judgement and let them float by without believing them or reacting to them. Thoughts are simply thoughts.
- Scan your body and become aware of any sensations and emotions present. Take a deep breath, detect any tension, tingling or pain and let go and release through each breath.? Tune into your breathing to calm and relax your body.
- Notice patterns of your thoughts. Do they often wander during lessons, homework, emailing or texting, web surfing, Facebook, brushing teeth, walking the dog, tidying up etc.? Rehearsing doing one thing at a time will increase your awareness of the activity.
- Do something you enjoy every day. Make 30 minutes a day for you. It could be just listening to a music track, chatting with friends, a walk, a hobby etc.
- Acknowledge who you are and connect with yourself. The mind constantly assesses and evaluates situations and passes judgement. It categorises things into like, dislike, want, doesn’t want. Don’t be overly concerned about it. It’s not who you are.