How to practice mindfulness
Modern life, especially our immediate present, can be incredibly stressful. From the moment we wake to the moments before we fall asleep, we thoughtlessly ride on a conveyor belt of activity, never stopping our activities for a moment to listen to our bodies and silence our minds. We did this long before lockdown, and we’ll likely continue when it’s over.
When your phone begins to overheat, you stop using it for a little while, and that is – in its most simplistic and material terms – the gist of mindfulness. We’re silencing the world around us and tuning into the sound of our own breathing. We’re turning off the world for a little while so that we can listen to ourselves, stress-free, for a little while.
Here are a few of our tips for practicing mindfulness:
1. Learn to focus
The first and most difficult part of mindfulness, is learning how to quiet your mind and focus on one thing at a time. The best way to start is by finding a quiet place where you can be alone, and then focusing on your breathing. What do you hear? What do you feel? Concentrate and meditate on these sensations.
2. Expand your focus
Slowly invite the rest of your senses such as touch or taste. How do your clothes feel on your body? What can you hear or smell? Bring your focus back when your mind inevitably begins to wander.
3. Practice everywhere
You don’t need to cultivate perfect peace and quiet in order to practice mindfulness. In fact, most of the time that’s impossible. Learn how to get into that mindfulness headspace when waiting for a bus or sitting at your desk
4. Go easy on yourself
Don’t worry if you don’t start seeing immediate effects. Mindfulness is a kind of deprogramming session that allows you to re-connect with yourself independent of the world around you. It isn’t a magic pill for stress and anxiety, but it does help.
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The best thing about mindfulness is – you can start whenever or wherever. Why not try it right now? We hope our blog has helped push you in the right direction, and we’ll be back soon with more tips on how to de-stress during covid-19.