Your step by step guide to mindfulness
Have you been feeling stressed out lately? asks Ryan Crozier. Don’t worry, we’ve all felt like this. Luckily, there are multiple ways of getting over this feeling. For example, going out for a walk in the park. This is helpful because it relaxes the brain and releases chemicals called endorphins that can stimulate relaxation.
Another way to stop feeling stressed is to meditate. This is a good thing to do because it eliminates the stream of thoughts in your mind and it calms the mind down. In addition, you should make free time for yourself. This is very useful because it gives you time to calm down and relax, reducing an overflow of thoughts.
Saskia Simpson sets out the basics of mindfulness and the benefits it can have.
Have you ever considered doing mindfulness? There are many health benefits that come with mindfulness and it is a good way to help you to think clearly and relax, particularly with the approach of exam season.
Mindfulness is described as the ability to be fully present and aware of where you are and how you’re feeling. It’s a type of meditation that encourages you to focus on being completely conscious of your senses and feelings in the moment without interpretation or judgement. Generally, it involves breathing methods and guided imagery to focus your attention solely on your breath; this helps to relax the body and reduce stress. The great thing about mindfulness is that you can do it anywhere, anytime!
Mindfulness can take the form of any activity that brings your attention away from your thoughts and only on your immediate breath and activity. This can include activities such as: mindful walks, artwork, physical activities like running or horse riding, cooking, yoga and even showering! Really any activity that makes you focus solely on what you’re doing in the present moment could be a mindful activity.
Unsure how to start? Here are a few simple steps that can help you practise mindfulness.
- Set aside some time and create space for yourself, making sure to avoid any distractions.
- Set a timer for however long you’d like to practise mindfulness for. The longer you are mindful, the more benefits you will see. However, when first starting out it’s important to start with a few minutes first then slowly increase the time as you become more comfortable.
- Get comfy! This makes it easier for you to relax and focus your mind on the present without any distracting discomfort. You don’t need to do any complex yoga positions for mindfulness - just sitting in a comfortable chair or even lying down on your bed is perfectly fine.
- Bring your attention to your breathing and begin to slow-down and deepen your breaths. It’s completely natural to only be able to do this for a couple of seconds before you notice your mind wandering - just keep refocusing your attention on your breath!
- Keep doing this technique for however long feels right, remembering to gently bring your attention back whenever you get distracted and don’t worry about any thoughts you find circulating.
- When your timer goes off and you have finished your meditation, ease your attention slowly back and open your eyes. It’s that easy!
Taking even a short amount of time every day to be mindful has many long term benefits including improving your quality of sleep, supporting memory, boosting immunity, reducing stress and decreasing emotional reactivity. Moving your attention away from your thoughts and directing it towards your body and breath can help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings. Then, instead of being overwhelmed by them, you can learn to manage your emotions and reduce the amount of stress you feel.
Saskia Simpson, Y12