Dear friends,
I’ve been thinking about mindfulness a lot these days, as I tend to find it harder to reign in my thoughts. My brain seems to be on overload almost all the time, and based on what I hear from friends and family, I’d venture to say a lot of us are experiencing something similar.
During this time of crisis and uncertainty, many of us are in a state of “fight-or-flight,” meaning our nervous system is operating in a heightened state, focusing on protection and survival. We have chemical, physical, emotional, and mental responses that are a part of this state.
Mindfulness is one of the tools I’ve found to calm down the stress of “fight or flight,” both in a mental and physiological way.
For my physical state, mindfulness and attention to breath help regulate my heart rate, and send a message to my brain and body that they can relax a little. As my breath tells my brain that I am safe, there’s a physical response as tension is released from the body.
For my mental state, mindfulness helps me come back to the present moment, instead of living in the past or anticipating the future. How often do I live in the past, replaying a conversation, thinking on a problem, lamenting a decision my past self made? And, especially now, how often do I live in the future, anticipating all the things that might happen, all the things that could go wrong, all the things I need to get done…? When I’m practicing mindfulness, my attention is drawn to the right now. The present moment is really the only one in which I can truly exist, and the only one in which I have any agency or choice.
So how do we practice mindfulness? Here are some brief, practical tips:
Slow down. Slowing down physically (in our walk, our driving, our rush from task to task) as well as mentally can have a tremendous impact on peace of mind, and can also improve productivity.
Sit still and attend to your breath for 3-5 minutes. When you notice the mind wandering, gently bring it back to your breath. To slow your heart rate, you can even extend the timing of your exhale (for instance, inhaling through the nose for 4 seconds, exhaling through the mouth for 6 seconds).
Tune in to your five senses -- sight: what do you see (colors, light, movement, etc); sound (what do you hear, both in the foreground, and further off in the background); smell (take a big inhale); taste; touch (where are you sitting/standing, feel the feet on the ground, your seat in the chair, tune into the tension or the relaxation of your body).
One thing at a time. It’s better for our brains to focus on one task at a time, instead of “multi-tasking” (which is essentially asking our brain to rapidly switch between tasks, which exhausts more mental energy). This may mean mapping out the day, shutting down the phone for a bit, or setting up a helpful routine during the mornings and evenings. (More on that in future blogs!)
Practice pausing. Take 20-40 seconds to pause as you transition from one task to another. Close your eyes, be still, and tune into your breath.
Get outside in nature (a walk, a picnic, hike, jog, etc). This works wonders for mental and physical health, including the immune system. (See my earlier blog post on walking.)
There are some helpful digital tools out there, including apps like Headspace and Calm, that provide short, daily exercises to improve mindfulness.
In health and gratitude,
Mary
