Wellness Series, Part 7: Cultivating Mindfulness and Finding Peace in the Present Moment
Photo by Ryan Byrne on Unsplash
Why is Mindfulness important?
Do you spend a lot of time 'in your head', thinking about something that happened in the past or worrying about the future? So do I! Our brains are constantly trying to predict the future and keep us safe, and with all the cognitive overload that we are subjected to in today's world, and the accelerated pace of life, it can be easy to find ourselves rushing from one thing to the next and consistently stressed, anxious or overwhelmed...
But the truth is that life is happening now. We can't go back in the past, and the things we worry about might not happen in the future (and research shows that about 85% of the things we worry about don't actually happen!). So by learning how to bring our attention back to the present moment, we get more out of life and become happier and more fulfilled.
Mindfulness is not a new concept - many mindfulness practices were inspired mainly by teachings from the Eastern World, particularly from Buddhist and Hindu traditions. Western science has now evolved to the point where it can evaluate the effectiveness of practicing mindfulness— making mindfulness an attractive option for those who are skeptical of Eastern traditions.
Mindfulness can be practiced in many different ways, and I'll talk about this more over the next weeks - however I want to share more about the benefits that mindfulness practices bring to our health & wellbeing:
👉🏼 increases our ability to regulate our emotions
👉🏼 decreases stress, anxiety and depression
👉🏼 improves our attention and focus
👉🏼 strengthens our relationships
👉🏼 improves our memory and mental clarity
How to bring more Mindfulness into your life
Commit to a positive morning routine
Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, the way we start the day makes a huge impact on how we feel by the end of it. Easing ourselves into the morning by taking a few moments to stretch, reflect and breathe slowly can make such a difference, whether you have 10 minutes or 30 available.
Keep your first hour of the day tech-free
If we look at our phone or turn the TV on the moment we wake up, our brain starts to process a huge amount of information first thing in the day, and this can really hijack our attention and make us feel overwhelmed. Manage your energy by taking that first hour of the day to think clearly, without distractions, and focus on your priorities for the day.
Take a Power Pause
When you start to feel stressed or overwhelmed, it’s often because either your mind is ahead of your body, or your body is ahead of your mind. By taking a minute to focus on your breathing and aligning your inhale with your exhale (in for 4 and then out for 4), you will start to feel more relaxed.
Create pockets of mindfulness in your day
You know those moments we all get during the day, when we’re either stuck in traffic or in a queue, and we start feeling angry, frustrated or bored? Whilst we can’t change that particular situation and all we can do is wait, we can use that as an opportunity to bring some mindfulness in our day, by focusing on our breathing or gently focusing our attention to our surroundings.
Try the 5-4-3-2-1 technique
If you’re feeling a sudden wave of overwhelm or anxiety, take a few long and slow breaths, and then start naming 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste, and then take another slow breath.
End the day with mindfulness
Create a wind down routine that helps you end the day with mindfulness, whether that’s doing some yoga or a few stretches, having a cup of tea, praying or meditating, reading or listening to soft music (or a combo!).
Common challenges
The biggest challenges when it comes to bringing more mindfulness into our lives have to do with the pace at which everything happens in today's world. Technology has made our lives better in so many ways, and yet it has also made it more challenging to be mindful and slow down.
There are so many things that are competing for our attention, yet our attention is a limited resource. With all these challenges, the key is to really take a step back and identify what your priorities are, and then to make sure that you spend some of your valuable time and energy on your priorities every day. Think of priorities as the things that matter to you, and that positively impact your health and life. And remember that when everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. You should always start small and focus on building sustainable habits that support your wellbeing. And remember that you don't have to do this on your own - if you don't know where to start or you feel overwhelmed, reach out for support. Get an accountability buddy, join a group or get 1:1 support.
How do we make mindfulness a part of our daily lives?
Like with the other wellness pillars we’ve discussed so far - by starting small.
Which of the ideas I shared above can you commit to trying out over the next few weeks? Choose one, and schedule it in your calendar so that you are prompted to build a habit around this new routine. Or you could try having a mindful cuppa, where you are taking a few moments to enjoy the warmth of your cup of tea or coffee in your hands, the smell, and the flavour of the first few sips.
Whatever you choose to try, mindfulness is a practice, which means that the more you do it, the more natural it will become - and it’s something we could all use more of in our busy, ever-changing lives.
Make sure to check out my previous posts too, and if you are looking for more support, go ahead and schedule a Discovery Call, to see if coaching could help you.