Mindfulness
Why are we quick to visit a doctor for our physical health, but not so quick to tend to our mental health?
Mindfulness can be achieved through meditations or simply by being aware of your environment. Mindfulness meditation has been gaining popularity from doctors and therapists who are recommending it to their patients for effectively managing their stress and anxiety, and for reducing chronic illness.
Here's some helpful tips we recommend:
1- First, slow down
When we are anxious, everything speeds up this makes it difficult to make healthy decisions.
At the fist sign of things speeding up, move a little slower and see what else you can do to intentionally slow things down.
2- Come to your senses
Anxiety lives in our minds and often manifests in our body.
Take a few moments to connect with your five senses.
3- Be mindful of a simple task
Life is full of simple tasks: walking, eating, answering emails, drinking water, etc..
Being mindful of a simple task helps remind us we're in control of our choices.
4- Do a reality check
Anxiety often stems from fear about events that haven't taken place. Our minds are powerful and often tell stories that aren't true.
When you have a catastrophic thought, ask yourself if it's fact or fear.
5- Release the critic
Not only is anxiety painful, but we are often hit with a second round of self critical thoughts.
When you notice the self-critic, see if you can interrupt it by dropping into your heart and be kinder to yourself.
