Mindfulness- a method in the madness.

We all know how hectic life can be. Even the littlest thing can stress us out and more and more people are opening up about feeling overwhelmed with the pressures they face in their day to day lives. Work, relationships, finances, education and more can all cause us undue stress and anxiety.

I have anxiety myself, and i know the struggles that it can bring. Everyday life seems so much harder, motivation to do things wanes and our social lives suffer because we simply don't want to face the world. However, there is one thing that i have found to be a tremendous help- Mindfulness.

What does Mindfulness mean to you? To me, it simply means taking time out to focus on the present moment, not thinking about what has just happened, or what might happen next. Just being in that moment and focus solely on yourself, your breathing and the sensations around you. Yoga (as i posted about previously) can tie into this an awful lot, but you can have one without the other. Meditation is becoming more common, and although you may think it is a waste of time when there are so many other things you could be getting on with, taking time out of your day, even if it is just 10 minutes, to solely focus on you can work wonders for your mental health!

Meditation can seem impossible at first. The idea of switching off your brain and thoughts, especially when your mind is working overtime, can seem like a losing battle. However, nobody is expecting you to know exactly how to do it straight away. It is about noticing when your mind has wandered, and not being judgemental towards yourself when it happens.

Try it now- just sit cross legged and focus on your breath, how it feels as it enters and then leaves your body. What sensations you feel in your body. Maybe it is the feeling of the chair beneath you, or a gentle breeze in your hair. Think about what sounds you can hear- birds chirping, the gentle breeze in the trees, distant sounds of traffic, children.s laughter etc. Focus on those sounds. Enjoy them. When your mind wanders, just take note and bring your attention back to the sounds you can hear and the sensations in your body. Praise yourself for noticing, and for taking time for yourself. Bring your attention back to your breath, taking three full, deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. How do you feel now?

I have found mindfulness to be really helpful for centring myself and helping me to switch off from my thoughts for a few minutes. There are a number of apps you can try to help you get started, my favourite being Headspace. There are also loads of YouTube videos available to use, some guided meditation and some unguided, so you can use your own mantras once you have gotten the hang of it.

Give it a try and let me know how you get on in the comments or via the contact form- i would love to know!