I Hate Mindfulness.
/Being owner of a practice named Mindful Marriage and Family Therapy is a funny thing; It is funny because by far one of the most common things I hear with regards to Mindfulness is that Mindfulness is not for me, or they say mindfulness is boring, or even I HATE MINDFULNESS!
The reason this amuses me is because I used to be the same way! Before becoming a clinician, I had the hardest time with the idea that I was supposed to just sit and breathe to find peace and insight. I quickly came to learn, however, that that is not what Mindfulness is at all.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is about paying attention. Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of mindfulness based stress reduction, put it best when he said that, “Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.”
With so many automated things around us our attention is being constantly hijacked. Sometimes our attention is in multiple places at once! I am not a stranger to watching a movie on tv while scrolling on my phone.
So this brings our point full circle to this new question of wanting to know how to utilize Mindfulness, this art of paying attention, in a way that does not feel like torture! Fear not! I have a list of ideas to help guide you along the way!
Mindful Ideas:
1.Physical Mindfulness:
This is using movement to pay attention.
An example may be taking a walk and choosing to be present with the sensations in your body instead of diving into that podcast you are really into right now.
Another could be to enjoy a yoga class or practice at home while truly paying attention and moving with intention and purpose.
2.Mindfulness through Art:
A wonderful way to connect with self is to fully engage with a creative activity.
One option might be to put on some music and create a visual example of the music you are hearing.
Or maybe you want to create an abstract painting based on the experiences you are feeling when scanning your emotional state at the moment.
3.Journaling:
Some connect best when they take time to write! By jotting down your mental and emotional happenings of the day it can help you mindfully commune with yourself in a way that helps with that state of being “awake.”
4. Breathwork:
Oh, I know that this is what everyone seems to think mindfulness is, but breathwork is more than just random slow breathes. It is about allowing yourself to be still and to listen.
Some find that it is enlightening to have a moment of stillness to focus on breath. This can be achieved by setting a timer and taking slow belly breaths while allowing thoughts to come and go. Using that act of paying attention to come back to your breath whenever the mind wanders.
Tactical breathing can also be used (also known as box breathing):
With 4 seconds of breathing in, followed by holding for 4, then 4 seconds out, and finally holding for 4 more, this is a more engaging form of breathework that many enjoy utilizing as a form of anchoring when anxiety and panic creeps in.
Others enjoy it as an engaging way to focus and center on self.
5. Five Senses:
One of my personal favorites is to use the 5 senses.
Intentionally taking a moment to experience each of my senses and to fully notice what is going on in my person is a great way to check in when my brain has drifted elsewhere.
This is an easy one to do quickly between activities and is incredibly calming.