Is your high-stress lifestyle putting your mental health last? By practising mindfulness, we can learn to take better care of ourselves and become less reactive.
Being aware is staying in the here and now without worrying too much about the past or the future. We achieve the finest outcomes and feel the happiest when we focus on the here and now and carry out a task without being distracted by our opinions, unfavourable feelings, or tension.
However, in today's fast-paced world, mindfulness is becoming more and more challenging because we have more on our plates than we can handle and end up doing everything in a hurried manner, which negatively impacts our mental health and prevents us from experiencing any joy or satisfaction we might otherwise feel.
This great rush to do everything and be everywhere can deeply impact our wellbeing, leaving us struggling with anxiety, stress, and poor sleep, says Prakriti Poddar, mental health expert and Global Head, RoundGlass.
In today's fast-paced world, we are all running a marathon, juggling multiple roles. We are striving to be good parents, spouses, and friends while also trying to be high-performing employees.
MINDFULNESS FOR THE SAVING
By encouraging us to take thoughtful breaks to focus our attention on the present moment, practising mindfulness can help us deal with these wellbeing concerns. It can help us become less receptive.
The amygdala, which is the centre of our brains for emotions, emotional behaviour, and motivation, has been linked to scientific studies that reveal after a few months of practise, these areas become calmer.
Being attentive necessitates acting as observers of our feelings, thoughts, and behaviours. It teaches us to be nonjudgmental, which enables us to handle difficult situations with grace and liberates us from intense negative emotions, according to Poddar.
MINDFULNESS PRACTICE STRATEGIES
Anytime and anywhere is a good place to practise mindfulness. You will learn that staying in the present can be a freeing experience and alter your entire outlook with continued practise.
Poddar offers 5 routines that will help you be more conscious.
1. Make a goal for the day:
Setting an aim can enable you to experience each day as a fresh start and do so with more confidence, joy, and appreciation. It may say anything like, "I'll try to be happy today," "I'll be calm," "I'll be sympathetic at work," or anything else that will help you feel more in control, happy, and calm.
2. Pay attention to your breathing:
A brief (five to seven minute) session of mindful breathing, which focuses on your breath as you inhale and exhale, can help calm the commotion of emotions and thoughts and gradually train your attention to stop wandering if you are feeling overwhelmed.
3. Activate your senses:
Activate all of your senses, including sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound, and utilise them to take in your surroundings in order to come out of an emotional state and focus on the here and now. This will immediately refocus your attention on the here and now and divert your attention from challenging feelings and ideas. You can savour your meal more deliberately by using all of your senses when eating. Be curious about the food you are consuming and place an emphasis on the quality rather than the amount of it. To reap the most health benefits from exercise for you, practise this when going for a walk.
4. React, not respond:
This behaviour can make you a more thoughtful parent. For instance, you would become furious and yell at your child if he broke a priceless vase. But pause, acknowledge your rage, take a big breath, and consider the circumstances. Is he in pain or in fear? So vase—was it really that significant? If not, it's alright. As you clean up the mess with your child, talk to him about how to prevent similar mishaps in the future. This method of parenting promotes open communication between parents and children, which helps kids feel comfortable and supported.
5. Extend Your Gratitude:
Giving a "thank you" or expressing gratitude for anything that makes you happy brings up good feelings and helps you refocus. Finding positive things in your surroundings and showing thanks for them might help you overcome unpleasant emotions and feelings.