Bringing Mindfulness into Your Life
I am sure you can agree when I say the past year has been quite hectic. As a society, we have been trying to plan and adjust our lives with little to no information about what to expect (and even that changes day-to-day). This can bring one to a place of anxiety.
“What about my wedding in 5 months? What will that look like?”
“When can I finally go to an indoor restaurant?”
“When is my work office going to reopen?”
We have a LOT of questions as to what is ahead for us. While time can provide some answers, MINDFULNESS can provide us with a lot of PEACE.
Mindfulness is a skill that can be taught to children and adults alike. Mindfulness is the act of bringing attention to one’s surroundings in the present moment and not allowing for thoughts and feelings to overwhelm oneself, taking them out of the here-and-now.
The intention is not to ignore or avoid the thoughts and feelings, but rather ground yourself in the moment. There is no space for anxiety if you are living in the moment. Anxiety comes from thinking about what is ahead.
I challenge you to use mindfulness when watching your thoughts. Picture this…
You are at a baggage claim at an airport. The conveyor belt is packed with luggage. Some big, some small. Some are old and some are new. These are your thoughts. We have large and small thoughts, both familiar thoughts and brand new ones. When practicing mindfulness, we do not need to take our luggage off the conveyor belt. We do not need to unzip it and explore what is packed inside, we can curiously just be aware of what passes. For example; “There’s another thought about the tasks I have to complete before the work week is done.”
NEXT, bring yourself back to the here and now. Remember, rumination won’t change the past nor the outcome of our future. All you can do is give yourself grace and bring all your attention to the present. Focus on what you can appreciate in the moment and gear thoughts away from what can potentially happen or what is irreversible.
As I said,this is a SKILL. Meaning it takes practice. You might find yourself getting stuck on the past/future and it might feel like you are in quicksand. Ground yourself into the present moment. Bring your 5 senses into use.
Allow yourself to “just be” with no expectations, no judgment, no pressure. Breathe in …2…3…4…5.
