What is Mindfulness?

It’s a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

Why is Mindfulness Beneficial?

When practicing mindfulness it can help us emotionally, physically and in our relationships. It can be used as a stress management tool in our crazy busy lives of constant interruption and distraction. If you’re like me you’ll find yourself being pulled in 10 different directions at any given moment in a day.  When practicing mindfulness you can begin to find yourself less distracted and more focused to one thing at a time. This in turn will create less stress.

The Distractions Are Stressing You Out

Think about it… you are helping your child with homework and your phone is notifying you of an email, a text, or that you’ve been tagged in a social media post. You have another child patiently “Haha” waiting to ask you if they can go with their friends to a concert this weekend. Plus you’ve got the oven that’s about to beep telling you dinners almost ready. Which is good because it’s Scout night and you need to get out the door. Count the distractions in that situation alone. This is just one example among many in an average day. Just reading that scenario will make your heart rate rise.

Mindfulness Tips

#1 Meditation – This can be a difficult practice to get use to utilizing, but it can become easier with continued practice. I use a guided meditation app called Headspace. Having a person talking me through the 10 minutes helps me to stay more focused than when I have attempted to sit quietly on my own. (Check out this article for basic mediation for beginners.)

#2 Listening to Music – Choose a soothing new-age music, classical music or a different slow-tempo music that has a relaxing, soothing or calming effect. Then focus on the music, to the beat, to the vibrations in the notes. As distractions pop up in your mind do your best to go back to truly listening to the music.

#3 Practicing Yoga – This could work with any exercise that puts you in a place where you can remove your mind from your to do’s and other distractions within your day. Concentrate on your movement, on your form, on your breathing, and when life creeps in you do your best to return your focus to the movement, form and breath.

#4 Be Present – Find a time everyday that you can be present, meaning you put down all electronic devices and just focus on what is going on right in front of you. For me this is dinner time. No devices, just me and my family talking about our day. I spend most of this time listening honestly. I don’t say a ton, because I want to hear from everyone else.

#5 Cleaning House – Literally and figuratively this can be very helpful. Figuratively you are cleaning up emotional baggage and letting go of the things that are not helping you anymore or serving you. Literally removing the clutter all around you that can lead to a stressful environment adding to the distraction.

#6 Find Your Own – What is it for you? Is there a craft? Do you enjoy gardening or taking a walk? Find that thing where you can shut all the notifications off and just focus on the present. Even if it’s for just 10-15 minutes a day. Do an activity where all you’re thinking about is what you’re doing right there and nothing else.