How To Do Mindfulness
Mindfulness is being both physically and mentally present within the moment and observe it without analyzing it. We often find ourselves lost in our own thoughts when we should be paying attention to other important things happening around us. Our mind is a very distracting place. A more focused mind can be achieved through mindfulness.
Why should we practice mindfulness?
Living our life in an unmindful way is like living in limbo and not being in control of our lives. It’s like not being able to process your thoughts and feeling and living in a state of confusion and perpetual discomfort over it. Mindfulness is like waking up from a sleep with fresh mind and energy to handle things. A focused mind is best in making decisions that aren’t influenced by our emotions and are more in reference to our reality. Mindfulness doesn’t only have calming effects on our body and mind, it’s also healing in nature. It is good for managing stress and anxiety, it can cure and prevent depression. It makes us more creative and adds character to our individuality. Apart from all this, it is beneficial for hypertension, cardiovascular well-being, diabetes etc.
Basics of mindfulness
Simple but Awarding- Mindfulness is a basic technique to practice if done correctly. You don’t have to buy anything or donate long hours to it but have a strong intention for it.
Acceptance- Accepting your current situation and your feelings towards it without trying to change it. We can’t stop the basic functioning of our brain, i.e., thinking rather we can stop judging our thoughts and just simply let them past. Accepting yourself and understanding that you are more important than your thoughts. It is an important thing to keep in mind while practicing mindfulness so that you don’t end up frustrating yourself.
Pick your own pace- Start your practice by 2 minutes and increase time regularly at your own pace. Don’t try to push yourself into sitting for an extended time.
Tracking your progress- Maintain a journal to keep an eye on your progress. Identify your problem and work on it. Writing about your experience also helps you to recognize and let go of your troubling thoughts.
How to do mindfulness
- Find some quiet place and sit in a relaxed
- Try to focus your mind on your surroundings. Observe little sounds, feel the air on your skin, and absorb the sensations of your body.
- Slowly turn your focus on your breathing and let the calm wash over. It’s necessary to understand and not try to change your breathing pattern. Mindfulness is only about observing without doing anything about
- If your mind wanders, gently bring your focus to current
What NOT to do while practicing mindfulness?
- Don’t try to focus on multiple things at a time. Choose one stimulus to concentrate on and stick to it for a few minutes. Don’t jump your focus from surroundings to the body to breathing to back to
- Don’t stress too much about whether you are doing it correctly on not. It is natural to fidget when trying to concentrate. Don’t pay much attention to
- Do not give up easily. It’s OK if you feel frustrated in the beginning but remember that giving up is easy. Take a break and start from the beginning.
Should I practice it daily?
Practice makes Man/woman perfect. It is suggested to practice it regularly for best results. But don’t worry if you miss a day or two. Mindfulness practiced in routine leave magnificent effects on our body and mind.
Mindfulness at work
In this competitive era, our work life is becoming more hectic and stressful. It is one of the vital causes of stress and mental health issues. Practicing mindfulness at work not only distresses your mind and body but also makes your work more creative and productive. Take a small break every two hours or on fixed intervals. Have a coffee and be mindful about it. It can’t be any easier. Don’t try to juggle too many tasks at once rather complete your tasks one at a time. Multi-tasking decreases your productivity. Therefore practice mindfulness for better work relationships and more job satisfaction.
We, at UDGAM, have a skillful, well-trained, and dedicated mindfulness trainer to deal with emotional, behavioral problems. Individual sessions and group sessions are available at UDGAM and can also be availed online.