Easy ways to increase your use of mindfulness:
As we discussed in previous posts, Mindfulness is a mental skill of presence. (If you missed that discussion, check out our What is mindfulness? Post here).
So maybe you have hopped on board with the idea that mindfulness can be a good skill or practice to develop, but still need some help with the idea of how to actually go about it. Here are a few great places to start developing your mindfulness skill:
Guided mindfulness tracks:
The easiest way to start to develop a mindfulness practice is with a guided mindfulness track. One of my favorite resources to refer people to is an app called headspace. This app is free to download and between the free trail period and the basic subscription packages, it can be a great, affordable place to start. I like this resource because there is the option to completed 5 to 10 minutes of content each day, and it focuses on teaching you one aspect or skill of the mindfulness process. The cute videos make things a bit more fun and are surprisingly informative.
My other go to resource for mindfulness practice is the UCLA Mindful Awareness Reacher Center. In additional to some amazing research on the impact of mindfulness, they have some free mindfulness resources that are quite good. Bonus: They have recoded these tracks in multiple languages!
Think of these guided mindfulness practices as the driving range or the batting cage in developing the skills that we need to manage the thoughts that we're struggling with. It may seem a little bit mundane at first, but once we get the skill developed or establish that mental muscle memory, we can introduce then into our day-to-day life and really have an impact we desired .
Pick a daily task to be mindful with:
The easiest way to develop a new habit is to pair or associate the habit with something that you already do regularly, or is already a part of your routine. Mindfulness is no different. Any task, can turn into a mindfulness practice with a bit of intention- All have to to is focus on the body and the way our five senses are experience life. Here are a few examples:
Mindful eating: What is the taste, texture, smell, temperature, weight, consistently of the food that you are eating? Slow down enough to really experience it.
Mindful hand washing: What is the temperature of the water? Scent of the soap? Texture of your hands? Are you actually paying attention to how and where your are washing your hands?
Your daily commute- where do you feel the pressure of the seat connecting with your body? Where do you feel the seat belt contact your waist? What does it feel like to grip the steering wheel? What does your car smell like (Whether its is remnants of last night’s take out or your luxury care air freshener, its a part of your sensory experience.
Literally anything can be a mindful experience if we can connect with the senses and observe the way that our body interacts with the world we are experiencing.
Do a body scan:
Take 30 second to actually connect with what your body is experiencing. Start at the to of your head and work your way down, just noticing your body, where you are holding tension, if there is any discomfort, if the body has any needs like thirst, hunger, or pain.
BREATHE!
If you have been around mental health world in any form or fashion for much time at all, you have very likely been taught some form of breathing exercise. This is not by accident, breath is one of the ways that can engage our automatic response systems and that is a powerful tool! (More to come on this in future posts). Make a habit out of deep, intentional, chest expanding, belly inflating, controlled breath. It will reduce you stress responses, connect you to your body, and help you take that step towards the mindful observation that we all desire
Are you interested in leaning more about developing healthy emotional regulation skills for yourself, child or teen? Are you interested in learning more about how anxiety therapy could help you? Are located in the DFW, Dallas, Arlington, Mansfield, Grand Prairie or surrounding Texas Areas? Or are you a Texas resident interested in learning more about how online therapy services. Learn more about our Arlington, TX based counseling group for services both in office and virtually.
