Mindfulness seems to be everywhere lately. Just today I read on the Action for Happiness Facebook page and mindful.org that the UK became the first country to publish
an all-party parliamentary report on the benefits of mindfulness. That is huge!
Just a few weeks ago my 11 year was excited to tell me they
had a mindfulness meditation practice in gym class! In my small corner of NJ that is also pretty
huge! Funny how when mommy suggests meditation, I am usually met with that
infamous "tween" eye roll…
My journey with mindfulness is a relatively recent one. After leaving a long career in Sales Training
and Sales Management I returned to my very first passion, Social Work. I began practicing as a clinical therapist
using skills from my Columbia University MSW in the 1990’s as well as more recent training and coursework in
Positive Psychology. Meditation and/or
Mindfulness has become a significant part of my work, yet it was something I found challenging personally.
I am a thinker and a worrier.
As my husband often tells me “It must be exhausting being in your head all day”.He was right. It was.
It took me a while to get to where I am now, practicing meditation fairly regularly. That means around 5 out of 7
days per week, approximately 10 – 20 minutes a day. For me, that's awesome! I am careful not to judge myself or get
frustrated when I miss days here and there.
I have learned to focus on my progress instead of on when I fall short. For me, for now it is #mindfulenough.
Feeling and experiencing the subtle changes that mindful
meditation has brought into my life I try to encourage it with others however
not everyone is open to the idea. That
got me thinking about mindfulness a little differently. In ACT, which is a part of my work,
mindfulness does not need to be connected with formal meditation. It dawned on me that I had been using a form of
mindfulness as a child when I would swim.
Being on a competitive swim team throughout my childhood I can remember
hours and hours of swimming laps in the pool. I would see swimming as a way for me to relieve stress
and “clear my head”. The silence of
being under the water and the rhythmic movement of my stroke gave me with a
sense of comfort and calm even though I really did not understand why at the
time. I would breathe every third stroke
and would often find myself saying to myself “1…2…3… breathe…1…2…3…breathe” over and over
as I practiced.
I was using mindfulness and not knowing it. I bet you may be too.
For those of you with a curiosity about mindfulness but not
really sure if you are ready to introduce something new into your life, here
are just a few of many ways that may help you start to be more mindful without meditation,
similar to the experience I used to have when swimming:
1. Exercise
Like in my experience, repetitive exercise
like swimming, running or yoga that requires you to focus on your body and on your
breathing can be a way to practice mindfulness.
2. Creativity & Art
Painting, drawing, coloring or other
creative activity where you can focus your full attention on making something
beautiful can be a great way to recharge your batteries and reduce the chatter
that goes on in your mind.
3. Nature
Getting outside and take a walk. Notice the trees, flowers, breeze and use all of your senses to take in nature and the beauty around you. Notice the way the wind is blowing, the smells, the temperature and the sounds.4. Music
Listen to music without distractions. Take time to fully hear the different
instruments playing, lyrics and notice the feelings or emotions that come up as
you listen.
5. Journal
Daily journaling or writing can be another
way to be mindful. It could be a
gratitude journal or other type of writing or just simply jotting down your
day. My grandfather used to keep a daily
journal and after he passed away my cousins and I would read through them and
wonder why he would write every day, even the most simple, uneventful and mundane things. Now I better understand the
benefits of his writing.
6. Be Intentional
Find a few tasks you do every day, like
brushing your teeth, taking a shower or washing the dishes. Stop multitasking and focus on those tasks
with curiosity and wonder as if you had never done them before. What does the water feel like, what sounds do
you hear, what other senses can you engage as you perform this task?
