As a mental health therapist, I’ve learned and seen the positive benefits of mindfulness practices. Oftentimes, our society is moving at such a rapid pace that we don’t have much time to slow down and appreciate the small things in life. Mindfulness can help ground ourselves in the present moment and grow a greater appreciation and awareness in our everyday lives!

What is mindfulness?
One of the most commonly cited definitions of mindfulness is the awareness that arises through “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.”

The great flexibility of mindfulness is that it can be practiced anywhere, at any time.

Here are some ideas for practicing mindfulness!
While eating:

• Notice the flavors, aroma, color, and texture of your food and drink. Develop a sense of appreciation for the process of how the food and drink reached your table… the farmers, workers, and Mother Nature that made it possible for you to nourish your body and mind. 🥦🌍

While walking:

• Observe your surroundings and cultivate a greater appreciation for nature, the ground you walk on, the sun that gives you light, and the air that you breathe. ☀️
• *Extra bonus points if you stay off technology and reduce external noise and distraction. 📱🤳

While breathing:

• Focus on your breath. Breathe in slowly for four seconds, hold for four seconds, and breathe out for four seconds. This can help activate your parasympathetic nervous system, known as the ‘rest and digest’ system. This can help reduce your heart rate and calm the mind and body. 🧘‍♀️

Thought catching and cognitive defusion:

• Examine your internal dialogue. How do you speak to yourself? Try to catch when your thought patterns are negative and spiraling. Example: You forget to answer your friend on text, your friend brings this to your attention, and you default to the negative thought “I am such a bad friend.” You would ‘thought catch’ and identify this thought, and then ‘diffuse’ the thought. You would reframe this thought to be, “I am having the thought that I am such a bad friend.” In doing so, we reduce our emotional reactivity and attachment to the thought. The thought has less of a strong meaning and is less tied to our being, allowing us to develop a more realistic perspective of ourselves and the situation. Hopefully, you would recognize that one small action in a friendship doesn’t define and identify you as being an inherently bad friend! 💬

Overall, evidence from correlational research suggests that mindfulness is positively associated with a variety of indicators of psychological health, such as higher levels of positive affect, life satisfaction, vitality, and adaptive emotion regulation, and lower levels of negative affect and psychopathological symptoms.

Collaboratively working with a mental health therapist may help you cultivate a mindfulness practice that works best for you! Remember: it takes time and patience to develop this mental muscle 🧠💪 and discover which practices are most beneficial for you.