‘If you let cloudy water settle, it will become clear. If you let your upset mind settle, your course will also become clear.’1
Mindfulness is about being in the present, about accepting things for what they are in a non-judgmental way. It was originally developed to assist with mood regulation and was found to have many health benefits.
There are many mindfulness exercises that you can adapt to allow yourself to be able to identify, tolerate and reduce a situation that you find difficult or painful. Mindfulness exercises can also be used when life is moving too fast causing you to feel stressed. This is the time to take a moment to be present and consciously breath, to have mastery over your own thoughts and feelings.
The following exercises are adapted from The Black Dog Institute:
- One Minute Exercise: Sit in front of a clock or watch that you can use to time the passing of one minute. Your task is to focus your entire attention on your breathing, and nothing else, for the minute. Have a go - do it now.
- Mindful Eating: This involves sitting down at a table and eating a meal without engaging in any other activities - no newspaper, book, TV, radio, music, or talking. Now eat your meal paying full attention to which piece of food you select to eat, how it looks, how it smells, how you cut the food, the muscles you use to raise it to your mouth, the texture and taste of the food as you chew it slowly. You may be amazed at how different food tastes when eaten in this way and how filling a meal can be. It is also very good for the digestion.
- Mindful Walking: Here the same principle, while walking you concentrate on the feel of the ground under your feet, your breathing while walking. Just observe what is around you as you walk, staying IN THE PRESENT. Let your other thoughts go, just look at the sky, the view, the other walkers; feel the wind, the temperature on your skin; enjoy the moment.
