Clear your mind

image credit - Pinterest

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present and engaged in the here and now. Aware of where you are and what you are doing. Being aware of what you can sense and the feeling of being in that exact moment, without interpretation or judgement.

For most people, I’m sure this isn’t a new concept. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended mindfulness as a way to prevent depression in people who have had three or more bouts of depression in the past. As someone who has battled with their mental health for years, I have tried a few treatments and I have never found any as effective as exercise and practising mindfulness.

Mindfulness can be incorporated throughout the tasks you carry out at any time during your daily life. Listening to music, reading, carrying out daily chores and taking a shower are just a few examples. Practising mindful eating has had a positive impact on my relationship with food and meal times. I’m naturally quite a fast eater and have also struggled with dissociation in the past. Removing my phone from meal times can be beneficial as it reduces scrolling aimlessly through social media platforms taking the focus away from the act of eating.

More formal mindful practices include meditation; using techniques such as focusing on the sensation of breathing and the movement of the breath in the body. Exercises including yoga and tai chi can also help with developing awareness of your breathing.

The benefits of practising mindfulness include enhancing your focus and decision-making. Based on my personal experience, being mindful helps to dial down the intensity of my feelings as I can be incredibly sensitive and get overwhelmed easily when things feel like they are too much. The sense of calm and clarity that comes with being present lessens those feelings of fear, stress and anxiety that come with them.

I already feel as if I’ve raved about it enough in previous posts, but the app Headspace offers guided meditation for beginners as the act of meditating may seem intimidating to those without experience.

“The mind is like water. When it’s turbulent, it’s difficult to see. When it’s calm, everything becomes clear.”

- Prasad Mahes

It‘s easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of life, remember to take a step back and look at the world around you before it all flashes by.