If you feel like your head is spinning and life is out of control, you are not alone. Pretty sure that in this uncertain world, many of us are feeling anxiety, sadness, and simply overwhelmed. We often run the “worst case scenarios” through our head over and over, not giving our brains a chance to catch up with our feelings. What we truly need in these moments is are ways to steady our hearts.
Mindfulness (or meditation) is a way to help calm the soul, accept what is happening, and gain some inner calm. Stepping back from our emotions and “observing without judgement” is a way to create space to realize, “Yes, the world is chaotic, but I have a safe, calm space inside to exist”. We now have the opportunity to reframe your ideas about what is important to us, shift, and focus our attention towards things that matter and are within our control.
Before beginning these exercises tell yourself:
"I will approach this exercise with a clear mind."
"When thoughts that are unrelated to the steps within this exercise arise, I will recognize it and re-focus as soon as possible"
"I will dedicate my full attention to this exercise for the next two minutes."
Exercise 1: Set a timer for 2 minutes, Look around the room that you are currently in (or even better, if you are outdoors! look around your space) and visually pay attention to three things:
• What shapes do the items have?
• What colors? What texture?
• How was the item made?
• What else do you notice about these items?
Read Get Boxed and Calm
Exercise 2: Set a timer for 2 minutes. Close your eyes and focus your attention on the noises that
currently surround you.
• What is making the noise?
• What direction is the noise coming from?
• What pitch range does the sound have?
• Do you enjoy this noise?
• Is there anything else you observe about the noise
Exercise 3: Coffee Brewing! As your coffee (or tea) brews this morning, take a moment to ask yourself “Even though life is chaotic, what am I grateful for in this very moment?”
Give yourself permission to explore various things in your life and choose two. Now, give yourself permission to be curious about the things you have identified. Perhaps you can set aside time throughout your day to set an “intention”. Maybe you choose to go throughout your day intentionally showing compassion, or maybe you choose to notice moments of laughter or joy, perhaps you challenge yourself to make a difference (no matter how big or small).
Visualize what that would look like, now go forth dear humans, be mindful, live intentionally and matter on purpose.
Mindfulness is a way of befriending ourselves and our experience. -Jon Kabat-Zinn
Download a few more exercises below, you are welcome :)