Mindfulness is an awareness of our actions on a daily basis. We can make every action in our daily lives intentional, meaning we can observe our bodies and how they feel. We start to slow…..down…… our minds………
HOW TO START SLOWING DOWN
Let’s start with us right now, in this moment. Close your eyes. What are a few feelings that come to your mind right now? How does your body feel right now in this position? What sounds are around you? What smells are around you? What are you touching? What are you physicallydoing right now? These are all ways to bring yourself to what is happening right now.
“AUTOMATIC” MODE
Many times we tend to go on an “automatic” mode. We stop thinking about what we are doing every time and start creating lists in our heads to make us feel productive, when at the end of the day, sometimes we wonder what exactly we did throughout the day.
And during the day, have you ever felt rushed to the brink of feeling overwhelmed?
We wake up with to-do lists running through our head at the beginning of the day while our phones send reminders of what we need to do. Our mind is overstimulated even at the beginning of the day. Anxiety and feelings of being out of control are our daily reminders to keep hanging on.
THE DAILY CHECK-IN
A daily check-in with one’s body and thoughts can reduce anxiety and overwhelming feelings. It brings us back to where we are right now and reassures us that everything is okay. We don’t have to always be in “fight or flight” mode, there isn’t a tiger coming after us every moment of the day.
5 EASY DAILY CHECK-INS TO CREATE SELF-AWARENESS:
Stillness
Sitting still for one to two minutes at the beginning and/or at the end of your day. It doesn’t have to be meditation. It could be stretching and then laying in bed with eyes open or finding a comfortable seat and focusing on something that is constant. Or you can sit on a chair, the floor, or your bed noticing your body and your breath.
The Breath
Noticing your breath. This requires you to sit or stand, stopping whatever you’re doing at that moment. When you notice your breath, the rhythm, how it moves your body, you are immediately brought back to the present moment.
The Touch
Notice your touch. What are you touching right now? Feel it, notice the texture against your fingers or body.
Grounding
Ground yourself. Notice what your feet are touching. What are you wearing on your feet. If you have a moment to be outside, find some grass and stand there. This is a great calming mechanism to go out into nature and feel that.
Walking
If you are walking in the moment, slow your walking down. Notice the steps you are doing, count up to 10 steps, noticing when a thought comes in and restart the process over again.
All these little check-ins will help to reduce the feeling of anxiousness. Each time you do this, notice how you feel after. It’s about being able to connect to YOU. As you begin to integrate this into your daily lifestyle, you will notice a shift of perspective for yourself, giving yourself a chance to observe your own decision making process, your actions and others’ actions.
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