I’m sure you have heard the word mindful before, especially if you’ve checked in to read our blogs.. But what does it really mean? Are we being Mind full or Mindful? Is your mind full of clutter? When you are doing 1 task, are you thinking about the other 10 things on your to do list? Do you consider yourself to be an expert multitasker? Do you often find you are not very satisfied during activities because you are always on the move? Although multitasking can be a good thing.. Too much multitasking and nothing gets done effectively and leaves our brain overstimulated and scattered! This is probably even more relevant if you struggle with anxiety because often anxiety tells us that everything has to get done right now when it doesn’t.
In the book, “The Zen of Recovery”, it describes our inability to be mindful and states, “How often are we aware of the color of the sky or the smells that surround us? We sleepwalk through the scripts and sets of our lives, only dimly recalling their vague outlines and meanings. Always living for a better tomorrow or running from a numbing past, we habit this present moment like a shabby motel on the way to somewhere else. In doing this, we cheapen and degrade our only possession, which is simply this moment here and now. If we are pressed, we couldn’t really say where it is that we are such a rush to get to”.
Good mindfulness tools for beginners:
1. Savor your breakfast: When you are eating, try to only focus on how the food tastes and how it feels in your mouth. Not that your running late or how your kids soccer game will go.. Not even the bite after the one you are eating. Just stay in the hear & now
2. Try not to text while you are having conversations. Be present in the conversations and attentively listen. Try not to plan what you are going to say next either, just be engaged and listen with all 5 senses!
3. Take a long bath or shower. Use your favorite bath soaps and try to inhale them deeply in & out.
4. Go for a walk and feel every step you take. Take in all the nature surrounding you, all the sights & sounds without utilizing your phone or any other distractions.
If you’d like more information about being mindful and if you struggle with staying in the present moment & would like some suggestions on how to more fully live your daily life, call now at 1-201-488-6678. or visit Specialized Therapy Associates’ Website. We look forward to speaking with you!
