Video transcript:
Hey everyone! Good afternoon. My name is Sean and I am one of the therapists here at Wellspring Renewal Center. Today I wanted to talk a little bit about mindfulness. Mindfulness has become very popular in the last few years in all fields of healthcare. So I just want to talk about what mindfulness is. Mindfulness is just simply the awareness of the present moment. This is both in your external environment, what’s going on around you. And your internal environment, what is going on in your head; what are your thoughts and feelings. Mindfulness is helpful because it grounds us in the here and now. It’s important to learn from the past and to plan for the future. But sometimes we get so caught up in that and bringing ourselves back to the present moment is very peaceful, grounding and calming. It can also help us get in touch with how we are feeling at that moment and allow us to respond how we really want to respond. It brings us fully conscious so we can make fully conscious decisions.
Mindfulness doesn’t have to be an hour of meditation everyday, though that’s great if you can work up to that, it can be simple little things that are easy to do each day. I just wanted to share five easy ways to be mindful everyday.
Number one: When you wake up, take five mindful breaths in the morning. Deep breaths. Focus on what it feels like to breathe in and out. Check in with how you feel. Think about your intentions for the day.
Number two: Mindful eating. Now who doesn’t love food? But think about how often you just scarf down food and don’t pay attention to how it actually tastes. So, next time you eat, try to just focus on the food itself and that’s it. Focus on the fact that you are nourishing your body.
Number three: (And this is one of my favorites) Just look outside and look at the sky for 30 seconds. You know the sky is a constant source of beauty and it’s changing. Is it clear? Is it overcast? Is it partly cloudy? Take some time and look at the sky. It’s very peaceful.
Number four: When you are having a conversation with someone, instead of thinking about what you are going to say next, pay attention to what the’re saying. This is mindful listening. Think about what they are saying and why they are saying this to you. Notice your thoughts and feelings in response to this. This will allow you to mindfully respond. This helps build genuine connections with others.
Number five: When your doing those boring day to day tasks or chores, like hand washing the dishes or folding laundry, instead of thinking about all the other stuff you have to do after that try to focus on the sensations of actually doing that specific task. If you are doing the laundry, notice how it feels to fold each piece of clothing. This can be very grounding and very peaceful. And it kinda just makes it less boring.
Those are just five easy ways to be mindful everyday. There are a billion other ones. There are also formal meditation practices. There are so many ways to be mindful. If this sounds like something that you are interested in, or interested in exploring, please contact our office and we will get you set up with an appointment.
Thanks everyone and have a great day!