In between moments of mindfulness
You know those beautiful moments in life when you realise something profound….something that is so simple yet so impactful to your life.
Well, I had one of these moments recently and now I’m going to write about it…
I got thinking about mindfulness.
Something that is a soul focus for me in my current life.
Something that holds so much importance to me.
Something I truly believe has transformed my mental health for the better.
I began to think about what exactly I’ve changed about my life that has allowed me to become a more mindful person. I then quickly realised, it’s not actually anything I’ve “changed”, it’s rather what I’ve “added” to my life.
Whilst there are an endless amount of ways that we can practice mindfulness, the one that has truly been so simple and quite honestly life changing for me has been what I like to call my “in between moments of mindfulness”… and this hack is what I’ll be diving into today.
What I mean by “in between moments of mindfulness” is: All of the mini moments within your day that can seem a little “meaningless” a little “mundane” and are the perfect excuse to doom scroll social media or overthink/over analyse your life. Lol.
EXAMPLES OF THE IN BETWEEN MOMENTS:
Your drive to and from work each day
Waiting for your morning coffee
Waiting for an appointment
Waiting for the kettle to boil
Waiting for the bread to toast
The 9 minutes after you “snoozed” the alarm in the morning…
You get the point. Usually in these moments, it is easy to pull out the phone and begin to scroll OR spend way too much time overthinking every little detail about your life which ends up doing no good for us anyway.
In these moments YOU have the power to be mindful and regulate your nervous system.
2 SIMPLE ACTIONS TO TAKE:
1.Mentally note your five senses.
What can I…
Taste
Touch
Smell
Hear
See
When we list off our five senses, we instantly bring our mind and body back in to the present moment. We become aware of our surroundings in every way possible and with that put more of our focus in to our NOW.
2.Take some deep breaths
You have your breath with you everywhere you go, so there is never an excuse not to use it to help you. There are so many amazing breathing techniques out there that you are bound to find one that works for you. I personally love a simple box breath; inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4.
Take some deep breathes until whatever it is your waiting for is ready and watch your nervous system become more regulated.
FOR WHEN YOU’VE GOT THE TIME:
When you find you have some extra time on your hands. Maybe you have some extra time in the morning after completing your “morning routine” OR you have some down-time in the afternoon after work. Whatever it is, these moments are yet another beautiful opportunity to practice mindfulness. And again, you are “adding” this in to your day. You don’t have to change a thing…
2 SIMPLE ACTIONS TO TAKE:
1.Stretch it out:
Stretching releases tension in the body and in your muscles which results in a far more relaxed mind and body. Whether it be 5 or 10 minutes, find a small amount of space, start with some simple neck rolls and see where the flow can take you. Alternatively, there are so many easy-to follow yoga/stretching classes online and on YouTube that you can give a go.
2.Journal:
A simple way to take control of your mind and body connection and become more mindful is through journaling. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, you will notice the shift in your state of mind after spending some time to write out your thoughts and find some clarity.
4 Mindful journal prompts to try:
1. How does my body feel right now? Do any parts of my body feel tight/ sore?
2. How does my heart feel right now?
3. What am I thinking about right now? Is this draining my energy or giving me energy? How can I quieten this thought?
4. What are 3 things I am grateful for right now?
And to wrap up my rant on the wonderful practice of mindfulness, I want to add that, I don’t always do this…life happens, anxiety happens, overthinking thoughts come and go even when we don’t want them to. Sometimes we just can’t seem to shift ourselves out of it, and that’s okay. The main understanding in my opinion is, that we know how. We know that by using these little moments we have in our day to be mindful, we can change our day completely. We hold the power within ourselves and that is a very special thing.
So, next time your experiencing one of those “in between moments” of your day, try one of these simple hacks and watch your mind and body connection become deeper and your nervous system become more regulated. You will feel the difference.
With love,
Bell
