Practice Mindfulness Daily

Bringing Mindfulness into your daily life is a powerful way to decrease stress and anxiety. By maintaining a present centred awareness, one can enjoy little moments of joy throughout the day. Initially a Buddhist practice, compassion lies at the heart of this method. Making this a useful tool that you can utilise regardless of your religious beliefs. Our minds tend to work overtime, with a constant stream of errands and to-do lists running across our thoughts. Mindfulness meditation is accessible to everyone by simply focusing on the breath. Drawing your attention to the senses one by one is a simple technique to quiet the mind.

Mindfulness allows you to access a place of stillness and connect to your Self on a deeper level. Scientific research shows that it can increase the plasticity in the brain, encouraging a compassionate mindset. Challenging negative thought patterns instigates healthier internal rhetoric. It is a non-judgemental way of being. Enabling you to understand and speak from a space of compassion, improving your emotional intelligence.

As you begin to listen to understand and empathise as opposed to being right, you will notice an improvement in all of your relationships.

Explore a Mindful way of Being

• Try to stay aware of your thoughts throughout the day. As you notice, each one release it without judgement.

• If you find yourself frustrated in traffic or queuing, bring your focus to your breath. Pay attention to the little details in front of you. Notice the colour of the sky, the smells around you, or the sounds you can hear.

• Slow your breath down. By inhaling deeply into the lower belly, you calm the parasympathetic nervous system. Exhale slowly, focusing on the rise and fall of your stomach.

• Try mindful eating. Turn off the tv and any distractions during dinner time. Pay attention to each bite, savouring the individual flavours. Mindful eating improves your relationship with food. Spend the afternoon eating fresh fruit or raw vegetables in silence. Enjoy the sensations as you explore different flavour receptors on the tongue. All five senses are involved when we eat. The more engaged we are with our meal, the less chance we have to overindulge.

• Walk amongst the trees or barefoot on the grass during your lunch break. Research shows 20-30 minutes in the park each day lowers your cortisol levels. Take a mindful walk and enjoy the sounds of nature.