Being More Mindful

The topic of mindfulness has become quite popular in the mental health field over the past years. Have you ever wondered why and what you could do to be more mindful? This article will focus on answering these questions.

First, how do we define mindfulness or what do we mean by being mindful? Practicing mindfulness means that we intentionally focus our awareness on the present moment and deliberately pay more attention over and over again. We are mindful when we appreciate the beauty life has to offer and build a deeper sense of connection to the world around us.

What are the benefits of being more mindful?

According to numerous studies mentioned on the Healthline.com website, the benefits are plenty and can include cognitive ability improvement, slower brain aging, a reduction of stress, anxiety and depression symptoms, and an increase of well-being, and can even help manage pain.

What can mindfulness look like in our daily routine or reality?

We can practice mindfulness in various ways. The thing to remember is to choose an activity that you like and that works best for you. Here are some ideas to help you start:

Deep Breathing: also known as abdominal breathing, it is a technique that involves taking slow, deep breaths that engage the diaphragm, allowing more oxygen to enter the body. A couple easy-to-learn technique are the Box breathing and the 4-7-8 Breathing.

Digital Detox: intentionally reduces or eliminates your use of electronic devices, such as smartphones, computers, and social media, to improve mental well-being and reconnect with the real world.

Doodling, doing puzzles, knitting, painting: these activities can help your mind escape from mental chatter and worries by focusing on the creative task you are doing.

Listening to music: it could be music involving nature sounds or classical music.

Practicing a full body scan: You can visualize a scanner moving from head to toe to register your physical or emotional experiences. The whole idea is not to be judgmental about the sensations or emotions you are experiencing. If you want to give this a try, you can find body scan meditations online.

Eating slower and paying close attention to all food flavors in your mouth.

Paying attention to visual details, the sounds and the smells around you while taking a walk.

As you can see, being mindful can be easy. Just as Sharon Salzberg (author and teacher of Buddhist meditation) said: Mindfulness isn’t difficult, we just need to remember to do it.

What are you ready to try to be more mindful today?

References: https://www.healthline.com/health/mind-body/what-is-
mindfulness#benefits

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The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice. If you need advice, please consult a qualified health care professional. For further information or if you want to access our services at CMHA, please call 1-800-493-8271 or visit our web site at www.cmha-east.on.ca