What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is state of being. It’s not a specific exercise or activity. Being mindful is characterized by having a heightened sense of awareness and acceptance (without judgement). It doesn’t involve clearing your mind or getting lost in your thoughts. On the contrary, you are aware of physical sensations, thoughts and feelings as they occur, completely in the present moment. When you notice a thought, such as ‘I feel anxious,’ you leave it there. You don’t judge the feeling, elaborate on it or try to change it. Simply observe it.

You tune into sounds, smells, notice how your body moves and feels. You pay attention to your breathing. It’s a matter of taking everything in through a sense of awareness and peace. There are many ways to practice mindfulness, such as through meditation, a walk in nature, eating with mindfulness and being aware of all of your senses: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and feeling. You are not distracted with thoughts but are present in the moment, in the place, taking everything in.

Why practice mindfulness? Benefits include improved mental processing speed, focus and clarity, less intense/frequent feelings of anxiety and depression, improved adaptability during times of stress, decreased rumination and an enhanced ability to manage your emotions.

Emotional stress busters

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), stress is “a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives.” It’s not always negative but can be positive and motivate you to get things done. Emotional stress refers to stressors and situations that evoke an emotional response, such as sadness, anger, worry and fear. Common to everyone at one time or another, when the stressor underlying the emotion interferes with daily activities, it can be problematic. Here are three simple tips for helping you manage emotional stress.

• Take action on tomorrow’s worries: If you find yourself getting stuck in “what if” thinking, take action. Consider writing down all the ‘what if’ worries and topics that are of concern, then add what you would do if if the each comes to pass. Writing down worries helps to ease them while providing you with a practical action plan.
• Reflect: Take 5 minutes to reflect on your life. What are you proud of? What has been your best achievement? What gives you joy? Purposefully thinking good thoughts, reflecting on the positive improves mood and outlook. 
• Smile: Reflect on your week and write down 3 things that have made you smile. Keep in mind that it takes nearly 50 muscles to frown and less than 15 to smile.