Mindful ways to reconnect to ourselves during times of struggle and uncertainty

The world is changing quickly these days, and as humans, we are being asked to adjust.

While working and learning from home, we’re facing new challenges and what used to be easy, like getting out of bed, has now become a chore. Fraught with anxiety about what the future could look like, we are adapting to the “new normal” COVID presents.

During this time, bringing awareness to our thoughts and surroundings have been paramount. We’ve been asked to adjust to a new normal and be aware of things we may not have done in the past like wearing a mask. Using our awareness to support our mental health and reduce adverse side effects and increase our ability to manage ourselves throughout this uncertainty. Mindfulness can be just as effective as talk therapy or antidepressants, according to Harvard researchers. Mindfulness’s positive effects on depression and anxiety are becoming more widespread and well-known. 

Mindfulness works by decreasing the build up of adverse emotions by giving us more space and mental capacity to choose how we want to respond to stress. When we aren’t choosing our response and solely reacting to our situations, there can be a build up of emotion that leads to anxiety and depression.

Admist the chaos, uncertainty, and anxiety of 2020, here are some ways you can tap into mindfulness in your home:

Breath.

Breathing is something our body does whether we think about it or not. It is a subconscious body function that keeps us alive. Can you imagine having to cue your lungs to breathe? My mind would be completely occupied with that chore. However, paying attention to our breath is a great way to get present to the moment at hand. When we focus on our breath and make each one longer and deeper, we are needing to focus most of our attention on this for it to happen. As our focus goes to our breath in real-time, we bring our mind to the present. Rumination or thoughts about past events tend to subside since we need to put all of our attention on our breath. This requires no extra tools, just you and your breath. 

Meditation. 

Learning to pay attention to our breath in any situation—on the go, at work, while working out—is a meditation in and of itself. And there are many types of meditation. The key to meditation is becoming present and more mindful of the thoughts in our head and the sensations in our bodies. Find a comfortable seat, in a chair or on the floor, close your eyes, and breathe. Relax your body and arms. Now, observe your thoughts, the inside of your mind. There are many types of meditation. A couple of great apps to use to meditate are Calm and Headspace. 

Change the scenery.

Go on a walk, move your body. When we are sitting at home doing homework or work, we can feel a sensation of being stuck. Taking a walk is a great way to get out of the space and get in tune with your body. Movement helps us get back into our bodies when we’ve been sitting and thinking for most of the day. 

Physical movement.

Movement is a natural way to get us out of our heads. When we get our heart rate up and physically exert ourselves, we tend to ruminate less. Our focus becomes keeping our body moving and breathing rather than having thoughts about the past and present. Getting out of our heads, getting our heart rate up, drawing attention to our body, and matching our breath with our movement makes for a great mindful activity and exercise too.

Draw, color, writing, painting.

Creativity is a way to tap into the present. Whether it is painting or coloring or writing, being in a flow of self-expression helps to bring our focus to the present moment and the task at hand. If we are focusing on writing a sentence or painting or coloring between the lines, we can bring our focus to that single task rather than staying in our minds.

Leave your phone behind.

It seems like a difficult thing to do, especially today when we take our phones everywhere. We may feel tethered to our phones or maybe handcuffed. If stepping out without your phones isn’t possible, try turning certain notifications off on your phone. Receiving constant notifications on our phones takes us out of the moment. Have you ever eaten dinner with a friend and been taken out of the moment by getting a text or notification dinging on your phone?  

Connect with a human.

When we connect with other humans, we get present to what is in front of us by listening intently to what they are saying and repeating their words back. Connection takes two present human beings to work so it can be a powerful way to get present. This doesn’t just mean meeting up with a friend or family member. This can mean paying attention to the people you see around your house and waving to say hi. Bring your awareness to the people you see in your life. It is key to be mindful of who and how we are connecting. And if you want to talk to someone but not sure who would be best, a therapist is always a great solution to support you in conversations you don’t feel like you can have with anyone else in your life.

Remember, these activities don’t have to be done for a long amount of time. They can be done in one minute or 15. Work with the time you have on hand and choose the activity accordingly. The goal is to be more mindful so doing it even for 2 minutes twice a week will increase the little mindful moments in your life over time. 

Mindfulness activities show us we can be both nervous about tomorrow and on our mat doing yoga or writing or coloring. When we connect to the present moment, we begin to realize that it is all we truly have. Our worries about the future or past aren’t in our control and won’t change our current state. As we continue to connect to the present moment through mindfulness activities, our objectivity of what is happening to us also increases. Rather than subjectively ruminating on past and future events, we start to look at our circumstances curiously from a perspective that lives in the present.

Feeling a sense of wholeness within ourselves and our relationships starts within us. It is a mind, body, spirit connection. It is not only what you eat but also what you think and how you move. Incorporating moments of mindfulness into our day allows us to connect to ourselves and interact with others from a space of compassion. If you haven’t had a mindful moment yet today, this is your reminder to start now.