Mindfulness has become one of the most recurrent themes within the world of psychology, mental health and self-care. Perhaps because we live in an increasingly accelerated pace of life, the autopilot comes into action in the small and large actions of everyday life and we rarely realize where we went, who and what is around us, how we feel .
So when stress strikes and all the weight of the world we carry becomes too much, there is a need to look inside ourselves and find our place in that world again.
As with all relevant changes, entering the world of mindfulness and effectively understanding and seeking to fulfill its premises takes time. Patience is required.
Mindfulness does not necessarily imply engaging in formal meditations, such as most of us have learned to recognize. Mindfulness can be applied to the simplest things in everyday life, bringing your attention to the present moment: understanding what you are feeling (in terms of feelings), what the sensations are that come to you from all your senses (what you're smelling, what you're touching, what you're seeing…), what thoughts go through your head so quickly.
The next step is to accept whatever is happening in the present moment. Note that acceptance does not mean resignation or passivity, that is, simply accepting and not acting in any way to change undesirable current circumstances. It means understanding the present. It means not judging the present moment as we constantly do on autopilot. Perhaps later on, new solutions to old problems emerge, because we have allowed ourselves to look at the world differently.
Continued training, including formal meditation practices, allows you to act rationally and peacefully in stressful situations (and not react).
Mindfulness practices for everyone:
Consciously waking up – try to give yourself time to stretch your body, notice what you feel and breathe deeply.
Walking consciously – try to walk a little just in order to walk, without having to go anywhere. Feel the movements of your body, how your feet support your full weight.
Eat mindfully – “mindful eating” means that you savor each food and look for flavors as if it were the first time you've tried them.
Meditate for 1 minute – try to stop for a minute during the day and breathe deeply. This will help to reorganize your thoughts and focus.
Focus on an object – if you pay attention to all the details of any trivial object, you will notice how your mind gets rid of everything that is unnecessary and you will notice details that you have never really seen.
Using the non-dominant hand – doing something practical with the non-dominant hand awakens you to the necessary movements and focuses you on your body, promoting mental focus.
Engage in a hobby – some exercises you would never have thought of engaging in help to make your mind more relaxed, such as painting coloring books or practicing yoga.
(practices taken from the following source: https://www.blog-desenvolvimento-pessoal.pt)
Mindfulness is for everyone.
Because we all find ourselves at some point overwhelmed by feelings we barely understand and because we take life to extremes that harm our physical and mental health.
We wish you a great week 😉