How many times have you rushed out the door and into your day without even thinking about how you would like things to go? before you knew it, something or someone rubbed you the wrong way and you automatically reacted with frustration, impatience or rage – in other words, you found yourself acting in ways you never intended.
you don’t have to be stuck in these patterns. stopping to practice mindfulness for a few minutes at different times of the day can help your days be better, more in line with what you would like them to be.
mindfulness involves being aware of your surroundings as well as how you feel inside. a mindfulness practice can help people recognize their thoughts and feelings in a healthy way and allows them to avoid habits or behaviors that might be destructive or unhelpful. this can be seen through meditation, relaxation, mindfulness and observation of passing thoughts.
and it all starts with a goal.
intention refers to the underlying motivation behind everything we think, say, or do. From the brain’s perspective, when we act involuntarily, there is a disconnect between the faster, unconscious impulses of the lower brain centers and the slower, conscious, wiser abilities of the higher centers.
setting an intention helps to strengthen this connection between the lower and higher centers. it can change your day, making it more likely that your words, actions, and responses, especially during difficult times, will be more mindful and compassionate.
it’s better done first thing in the morningbefore checking phones or emails.
1. When you first wake up, check in with yourself. How do you feel? what emotions are present? do you feel any physical pain? take a moment to stretch and prepare for the day ahead.
2. take three long, deep breaths—inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. then let your breath settle into its own rhythm, simply following it in and out, noticing the rise and fall of your chest and belly as you breathe. as your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the breath.
3. ask yourself: “what is my intention for today?
4. set your intention for the day. for example, “Today I will be nice to myself; be patient with others; have fun; eat well,” or anything else you think is important.
5. Throughout the day, check in with yourself. pause, breathe and review your intention. notice, as you become more aware of your intentions for each day, how the quality of your communications, your relationships, and your mood changes.
mindfulness is not always an easy feeling to achieve. sometimes you feel stuck and you lose hope of feeling stable again. When it gets so bad for me and maybe even when I start having panic attacks, I use various grounding exercises, which allow me to connect with the world around me while letting my attention focus on other things. the 5-4-3-2-1 technique has always been my favorite. this technique asks you to focus on:
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five things you see
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four things you hear
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three things you feel
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two things you touch
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something you taste
another way to make me feel “unstuck” is meditation. again, I’m not a pro, but I have two apps (Calme And Head space) who help me learn and practice. it helps to provide an incentive to continue my practice each day. and it really helps! I tend to use these apps in the morning when my thoughts are all over the day ahead of me, or if I’m feeling unsettled and my emotions are starting to control my actions and thoughts.
If you choose to do your daily routines mindfully, you can deliberately pay attention to when, how, why, and how you feel while doing them. it is also important to remember that you will have rest days! we are human, it is normal. if you start to feel awkward or off center, establish your anchor points which you know will help you feel grounded and bring you back to the present moment. my anchors are: focusing on my breathing, reminding myself that I’ve felt this before and all of this is temporary and will pass, going to my journal to write down my thoughts, getting a red velvet cupcake from Baked by Susan, or walking my dog by the river while listening to Emma Chamberlain’s podcast.
it can be hard to start this new habit, but with daily mindfulness, you can make it easier for yourself to use such a mindset in small doses throughout the day. and remember: your mind must be stronger than your feelings 🙂
YOU HAVE THIS!
I hope everything is okay,
eliza