Stress happens. According to a survey by the American Psychological Association which can be found here, stress levels have increased over the last ten years and this impacts adults’ physical and mental health, including: changing sleeping habits, headaches, and lack of concentration. Almost half of those surveyed reported experiencing family stress due to a trickle-down effect. Meaning, they were stressed about work and brought those anxious thoughts home to their family, causing them to yell and lose patience with their loved ones. Children look to their parents from a young age on how to handle stress, so it’s up to the adults to learn healthy practices to overcome these stressors. One of the best ways to overcome stress is to practice mindfulness. Amit Ray said, “If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.”

Mindfulness 101

Commit to a process you can easily do daily. Some people swear by the benefits of meditation or yoga, but to be successful at mindfulness start by doing what works for you. Daily affirmations or a calm walk are beneficial and don’t take long. There are even social media accounts you can follow so that as you scroll through your news feed, you read a 30 second challenge that helps you breathe and unwind. You know what works for your life, so find a process that will help you breathe and relax in the time frame you have available. Waiting in line for something? Turn life’s little delays into an opportunity to practice mindfulness.

The Set Up

Take a seat in a relaxing position, whether that’s seated or laying down. Find a place that feels calm and quiet, then set a time limit. If you’re using your phone’s timer, set it far away from you so it isn’t a distraction. Start with a short time like 2 to 5 minutes. Starting small will make the process feel less overwhelming.

The Process

Notice your body. Notice your breath. Notice when your mind has wandered. And be kind to your wandering mind. There’s no way to quiet your mind. That’s not the goal here. There’s no bliss state or otherworldly communion. All you’re trying to do is pay attention to the present moment, without judgment. This is a great time to see what simply comes up from your mind without your conscious direction. This is when you just bring your attention again and again to the present moment. Each time your mind wanders, acknowledge the thought, perhaps file it away for later, and then come back to the present. Instead of focusing on what is going to happen a week, a month, a year from now, focus on the next 24 hours and what you can do to get you closest to where you want to be.

When you are practicing mindfulness, you are creating space to think, to be yourself, to breathe, to notice your reactions. For more in depth information on practicing mindfulness, read an in-depth article here.