Useful Mindfulness Techniques
These days, mindfulness is quite popular, and for a good reason.
It has been demonstrated that mindfulness training lowers anxiety and stress.
In fact, recent research from the University of Oxford discovered that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is just as successful in preventing depressive relapses as antidepressants.
What is Mindfulness?
What might initially appear meaningless hippy nonsense is pretty straightforward: mindfulness instructs a person to watch their own behaviour and mental process entirely without judgment. People recognise their emotions and ideas before letting them go.
Instead of being choked by the constant self-judgment and worry that so frequently plagues our brains, mindfulness encourages people to be present in and cherish the moments of life.
Mindfulness Tips You Can Use immediately
It’s not only Zen Buddhists who sit in lotus poses on snow-covered mountains who engage in mindfulness practice. You too can use a variety of mindfulness practises every day.
Monday morning
Start a mindful morning routine. Give attention to the physical aspects of your morning routine when you get up rather than carrying on as usual and worrying about the meetings, reports, and pressures of the day ahead. When you shower, notice how the water feels on your skin, smell the shampoo and soap, pay attention to how your brush feels as it combs your hair, and listen to the sound, your toothbrush makes as it brushes against your teeth.
Concentration on drinks
Buddhist monks practise a type of meditation that involves a tea ceremony, where they pay close attention to every detail of the tea. Use your own morning beverage to do this. While your coffee or tea is being brewed, pay attention to the machine's noises and inhale the scent. Pay attention to how the colour of your beverage changes when you add milk or cream. In your hands, feel the mug's warmth. Finally, take measured sips to examine the flavour. While eating and drinking are routine daily activities that we take for granted, they may simply be transformed into daily mindfulness exercises.
Move Your Body to Connect With It
When you exercise, you have an additional chance to practise mindfulness as you pay attention to your breathing, your form, and how your body moves. Pay attention to the sound of your feet striking the pavement if you're running. Feel the cold metal bar in your hands as you raise weights. Don't let distractions and unfavourable ideas get in.
Zen Moments of the Afternoon
Draw a quick sketch. Find a topic, pick up a notepad and a pencil, and start sketching. Don't disregard this because you think you lack creative skills. Anyone can draw—seriously, anyone. It just requires practice. It's easy to choose a topic; you could even use the Starbucks cup that is now on your desk. Pick a location on your chosen item to start sketching from, and then start drawing. Examine the cup's soft contours, hints of indentations, and shadows it casts. Drawing is a fantastic mindfulness exercise since it calls for focus and awareness. Additionally, you may make your doodle as basic or complex as you wish, which makes it a fantastic quick or lengthy respite from continual screen time.
Spend Time Stretching
Mid-afternoon is a good time to leave the workplace and go outside to perform some simple stretching. Stretching is excellent for keeping your body healthy and using the time to focus on how your muscles feel and move is a terrific way to practise mindfulness.
Take a few minutes to breathe deeply
The mantra of yogis and professionals in meditation is focused breathing, and for a good reason. Although we live continuously, we practically never pay attention to it. People may connect with their bodies by taking the time to concentrate on their breathing.
· Try this surprisingly easy breathing exercise: Breath slowly and deeply via your nose, bringing your belly rather than your chest to the fore. Take a moment to hold your breath before gently exhaling through your lips. Rinse and repeat; it's that easy!
Continued Check-Ins
Take periodic breaks during the day to check on the health of your body and mind. Your posture is how? Do you have a tight jaw? Are you hydrated? The things you discover about yourself via these frequent check-ins could surprise you. Every hour or so, try to practise these little check-ins. Some people utilise smart watch alarms that vibrate regularly as quick reminders to gather and refocus.
Remove the headphones
Avoid the urge to put in your earbuds when taking the bus or to walk home from work. Instead, pay attention to the environment. Be present when you hear the birds chirping and watch the people walking by.
Mind dump during meditation
Set aside 10 to 15 minutes to sit with nothing but a pen and paper. Use this time to jot down everything that is running through your head. Writing down your thoughts can not only assist you in organising your thoughts and release tension that has built up, but you could also uncover some brilliant ideas that had been hidden.
Clean Up Your Act While Doing Your Dishes
It is not enjoyable to return home to a stack of dirty dishes. Make your tedious chores—like doing the laundry, and taking out the rubbish—mindfulness exercises rather than approaching them with dread. As you clean dishes, feel the water on your hands (or gloves), and check out the sponge's texture. As you clean the plates, bowls, and utensils, be mindful of the weight and form of each item.
Let the music consume you
Another helpful technique for incorporating mindfulness into your daily practice is music. Play a piece that you haven't heard before, if possible. Keep your thoughts from straying to the song's genre, author, or lyrical content. Instead, pay close attention to the music, keeping your mind still while you follow the beats and crescendos.
Try a guided meditation
More applications and tools are available to help you on your path as the mindfulness movement gains popularity. Look at well-known apps like Calm and Headspace. You may also try one of the numerous guided meditation videos on YouTube. These are remarkably peaceful as you prepare to wind down before bed.
