What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a term we see thrown around when talking about mental health - it is a state of awareness as the name might suggest. This may seem trivial, but the ability to bring your mind back from an anxious spiral is incredibly important in keeping perspective and one of the best ways to tackle anxiety. This is an ability we all have, but being able to harness it is the difficult part. The best way to practise mindfulness is through meditation, but this can be intimidating for most people starting - the idea of sitting in silence for an extended period of time with your own thoughts can be scary. There are some other easier ways to practise mindfulness in your own life:
Grounding - You may have heard this term before in connection with anxiety. Grounding exercises are exercises that make you aware of your surroundings usually by using your senses, and these are incredibly effective in times of high stress and anxiety as it stops the negative thoughts as you are solely focused on your senses. A popular one is the 5-4-3-2-1 rule - you name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can smell, 2 things you can feel and 1 thing you can taste.
Breathing - This may seem the most redundant of them all as we all are constantly breathing so how can this possibly be effective? Slow deep breathing actually counteracts the physical symptoms of anxiety which are hyperventilating, increased heart rate, sweating and sometimes light-headedness. It also forces you to be aware of your breaths and bring you into the present moment.
Check in on yourself - We always talk about the importance of checking in on loved ones, but checking in on yourself is just as important. Take some time to really assess how you’re feeling, and listen to your body’s needs. Being more aware of how you feel and your thoughts can help counteract the negative thoughts that are the root of everything.
I’m sure by now you’ve seen a pattern in these methods - they all are ways to take your mind off negative thoughts and be more aware of yourself. In the long term, this can help turn that negativity into positivity. Mindfulness is a journey, and more a state of living than simply something you can accomplish in one day. We all can be more mindful of ourselves, and simply doing these small things can have such an impact - you would be surprised about the power of thoughts.