If you missed the May 5th program on “Stress Management with Mindfulness” here are seven techniques/suggestions for incorporating the practice in your daily life:
1) TAKE CARE OF THE BASICS – Try to remember to eat well, balance exercise with rest, and get sufficient sleep at night. It’s hard to be mindful if you body doesn’t feel well.
2) GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD! – Engage in activities that ground you get you back “in the body.” For example: Get out in nature, play with pets, enjoy a meal, dance, sing, listen to music, etc. Simple physical distraction can often help break a cycle of thinking about stressful events.
3) SHIFT YOUR FOCUS – Direct your attention to the needs of others through volunteer work, friendly visiting or even just a phone call to a shut in.
4) PAY ATTENTION – Practice a technique to hone your ability to focus – meditation, yoga, tai chi, fly fishing, mindful eating, conscious communication, etc. Even just sitting still and watching the birds with full attention can help.
5) DO ONE THING AT A TIME – Multi-tasking doesn’t make us more productive – only more stressed. We may appear to be accomplishing more, but in fact, our brain can only really attend to one thing at a time.
6) EMBRACE IMPERMANENCE – Nothing lasts—good or bad —forever—even though you think it might. If you are feeling stressed about something ask yourself “How important will this really be—in an hour, in a day, in a month, in a year?”
7) REMEMBER TO BREATHE! – Give yourself permission to take a few deep, relaxed breaths when the pressure builds up. It makes all the difference in the world!
With mindfulness we can fully inhabit the present moment and see life as it really is—not how we fear or worry it might be. It allows us to ride the ups and down that are a natural part of all our lives.