Easy Ways to Practice Mindfulness

You may have noticed everyone is talking about Mindfulness Practices.  Well maybe not in those terms but you can’t drive a mile without passing a yoga studio.  While yoga and meditation may be popular, they are certainly not the only type of useful mindfulness practices.  Mindfulness is simply allowing yourself to be in the present moment.

Because when we think of mindfulness we automatically think about hippy yoga retreats or Buddhist meditation (or at least that’s what I use to picture), it's easy to say mindfulness practices are not for me.  Most of my professional career I have worked with people in a state of crisis, like the aggressive, angry, throwing chairs kind of crisis. So when I would read articles about the benefits of mindfulness, I would easily dismiss them and think “yeah right, I’m going to tell my aggressive client to be in the moment and think about their breath!”  Sounds like a good way to get hit by a chair! But what I didn’t realize was I was already doing it. I became really good and connecting and communicating with individuals in crisis because I stayed extremely calm and focused on their immediate physical and emotional needs. Kind of sounds like bringing them into the present doesn't it!

The beauty of mindfulness is that it does not need to be hard or take longer than a few minutes a day.  It can involve things you are already doing like going for a walk or drinking a cup of coffee. But rather then doing these activities and letting your mind stress about your day’s to do list, you actively focus your mind on the present.  

Why Mindfulness?  We can all agree we live in a fast paced world that is constantly bombarding us with stress.  Not to get too technical, but when we are faced with stress, our brains respond very differently then when operating in a calm state.  Stress triggers a part of our brain, called the amygdala, to respond and activate our Fight-Flight-Freeze response. This response literally turns off the part of our brain used for rational thinking.  That is why when we are highly stressed, we act irrationally. When this area of the brain is activated frequently, it can have negative effects on not only our actions but on our health.  Practicing mindfulness daily, even for just a few minutes can retrain your brain to turn off or slow down the activation of the amygdala and stress response, keeping you in a calm, thinking state even when confronted by a stressful event.  

So when and where should I practice Mindfulness?  Easy answer, literally anytime, anywhere!  Life is busy, so even if you start your lunch break at work with five minutes of a mindfulness practice, you will get the benefits from it.  If you have children, I highly recommended practicing it with them. By encouraging mindfulness, you will help them learn appropriate coping skills and can always pull out those calming reminders when they start to get upset.

So here are a few simple ideas to start introducing mindfulness into your life today.  

• Body- Breath- Mind Check In- This is simply stopping and taking a few moments to check in with yourself.  Sit comfortably and take a moment to focus on your body. What are your senses experiencing? It could be good or bad sensations, but just be aware of what it is your body is experiencing.  Then move your focus to your breathe. Again, just be aware of your breathing. You do not have to change it just focus on the inhale and exhale for a brief period of time. Then check in with your mind.  Keeping your thinking in the present; are you stressed? thinking about something pressing? Try not to solve a problem or be judgmental, just sit with the thought for a moment.
  
• Download an app.  There are free apps that will help you practice daily.  I like using Pacifica.  The app checks in with you daily either randomly or at set times and will guide you through a quick mindfulness exercise.  
  
• Go for a Mindfulness Walk-  While walking, as slowly or quickly as you want, be in the present.  Focus for a few moments on each of your five senses, one at a time.  Notice your surroundings.  
  
• You can practice mindfulness literally with any activity throughout your day, just put yourself in the present.  Click here for some more ideas for easy, daily mindfulness opportunities.
  

Try an easy mindfulness activity for a few days and see how you feel.  Not only will mindfulness help your emotional regulation and decrease overall stress levels, it will benefit your physical health in the long run.