Life can be full of stressful situations that cause anxiety and fear.
It’s important to maintain mindfulness and make your mental health a priority.
Here’s how to achieve mindfulness with meditation to improve your mental health.
What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of becoming more fully aware of the present moment rather than dwelling in the past, projecting into the future, or what’s going on around us. It involves a heightened awareness of sensory stimuli such as our breathing and being “in the now.” Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind.
The Benefits Of Mindfulness
- Lower stress levels
- Become kinder to ourselves and others
- Understand our past traumas and pain
- Reduce brain chatter
- Gain insight and awareness
- Reduce your worrying and anxieties
How To Achieve Mindfulness
Meditation is the first step towards mindfulness. Sitting in silence for ten minutes a day can do wonders for your mind, body, and soul. Here’s a mindful guide on achieving mindful meditation:
1. Find a comfortable place: You’ll want to find a comfortable seat in a relaxed and stress-free environment. Sit on a couch or chair with your feet on the ground. Allow your head and shoulders to rest comfortably; place your hands on the tops of your legs with upper arms at your side. Put your upper arms parallel to your upper body. Rest the palms of your hands on your legs.
2. Focus on your breathing: Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and relax. Keep your attention on the sensation of the inhale and exhale of your breath. Focus on the air moving through your nose or the rising and falling of your stomach and chest.
3. Reduce wandering thoughts: It’s normal to have wandering thoughts or distractions, so don’t judge yourself if you start becoming distracted. Instead of wrestling with your thoughts, let them pass by, without focusing on any thought. Thoughts will try to pull your attention away from your breathing. Notice them, but don’t pass judgment. Gently return your focus to your breath.
4. Tune into your senses: Sometimes, when we are stressed, focusing on what’s happening right in front of us can be a challenge in and of itself. Our minds are drawn to thinking about the future and all the bad things that are or could happen.
Using your five senses – sight, touch, smell, sound, and taste – can help you bring your mind back and focus, so you can ease those worries. For example, you could describe what you are seeing around you or tune into different sounds or smells that are around you.
5. Be kind to yourself: Do not be harsh or judgmental if you find your mind wandering. Mindfulness is about accepting yourself and treating yourself with compassion. Once you’ve finished, gently open your eyes and be conscious of your thoughts and feelings. Think about how you want to spend the rest of your day to bring you inner peace.
6. Start small: Don’t try to do too much at once. Begin with short and manageable sessions. Focus on your breath and body sensations and gradually increase the duration.
Mindfulness Practices You Can Use
Although mindfulness is a beneficial practice in achieving with meditation, it’s possible to perform everyday tasks while being mindful, including brushing our teeth, commuting to work, or savoring our food. Rather than going through the motions, tune into your five senses.
Using Mindfulness In Your Daily Living
Learning to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life is not always easy. It may take some time and practice to slow down and live in the moment. Some things that you can do that may help:
1. Live in the present: Focus your attention on what is happening right now, actively engaging with the current moment instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.
2. Focus on one thing at a time: Multitasking can leave you feeling distracted, so concentrate on one task with your full attention.
3. Pay attention: It’s hard to slow down and notice things in a busy world. Take the time to experience your environment with all your senses including touch, sound, sight, smell, and taste. For example, when you eat a favorite food, take the time to smell, taste, and enjoy it.
4. Enjoy the small moments: Small moments in our lives include those that we do not typically notice and those we take for granted. A small moment may be having a cup of coffee or a cool glass of water, spending a moment with a child or pet, or performing any everyday activity that goes by without our attention. Enjoyment, peace, and serenity in life happen in the small moments.
5. Create a safe place: Similar to guided imagery, create a place that is safe and comfortable. It may be your favorite room or a cabin in the woods. Use your senses to fully enter the safe place. Stay in this place for a while and go there whenever you need to soothe and calm yourself.
6. Go outside: Spending time outdoors is a great way to live in the moment and observe the sights, sounds, and sensations around you.
Mindfulness: Putting It All Together
There are many ways to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life. The goal is to be in a state of alert and focused relaxation, where you deliberately pay attention to thoughts and sensations without judgment. More ways to be mindful include:
- Sitting quietly and focusing on your breathing, allowing thoughts to come and go.
- Noticing subtle body sensations and letting them pass without judgment.
- Allow yourself to feel whatever emotions you’re experiencing without trying to suppress them.
- Let any emotions, whether positive or negative, be present without judgment –name them, accept their presence, and let them go.
- Pay attention to what you’re seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting or touching — name these senses without judgment.
How Mindfulness Can Help You Adapt
Mindfulness can significantly enhance your ability to adapt to new situations by increasing your awareness of both internal and external stimuli, fostering emotional regulation, and promoting a more flexible and adaptable response to change.
By practicing mindfulness, you can develop a greater sense of presence in the moment, allowing you to observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment, which can help you navigate challenging situations more effectively.
1. Increased awareness: Mindfulness helps you become more aware of your surroundings, your body, and your thoughts and emotions. This heightened awareness allows you to better understand the nature of a situation and respond accordingly, rather than reacting impulsively.
2. Emotional regulation: Mindfulness can help you regulate your emotions, particularly in stressful or uncertain situations. By observing your thoughts and emotions without judgment, you can learn to manage your reactions and respond more calmly and effectively.
3. Flexibility and adaptability: Mindfulness can foster a sense of flexibility and adaptability by encouraging you to embrace uncertainty and view change as an opportunity for growth. When you are mindful, you are better able to accept the present moment, even when it is uncomfortable or challenging, and to approach new situations with curiosity and openness.
4. Improved decision-making: By being more present and aware of your internal and external environment, mindfulness can help you make more informed decisions in stressful situations.
5. Reduced resistance to change: Mindfulness can help you reduce resistance to change by promoting a greater acceptance of the present moment and fostering a sense of non-attachment to outcomes. When you can view change as a natural part of life, you are less likely to feel overwhelmed or stressed by it.
6. Enhanced resilience: Mindfulness can build resilience by helping you develop the ability to cope with adversity and bounce back from challenges. By cultivating mindfulness, you can develop a stronger sense of inner strength and adaptability, which can be invaluable in navigating difficult situations.
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