Mindfulness At Home

Have you been feeling anxious or overwhelmed? Do you have an inability to focus? Is your mind full of chatter? It can happen to all of us. Practicing mindfulness can be for you!

 

Importance of mindfulness

Being mindful is not about shutting off your mind and thoughts; it is about finding awareness in the present moment. It is important because being aware of our thoughts helps to regulate our emotions (internally and externally). Being mindful helps to focus our attention, enhance our emotional intelligence and decrease stress and anxiety.

Negative thinking patterns and overwhelming constant thoughts can be draining and increase stress on our minds and bodies. Being mindful can help improve memory and helps you live in the moment.

Not only does being mindful ease your state of mind, lower stress, anxiety, and depression, but there are also many positive physiological benefits. Such as lower blood pressure, improved sleep, improved attention and focus, improved immune responses, and decrease cognitive decline from stress.

 

Incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine

 

1. Writing things down – When feeling anxious or stressed, write down whatever comes to mind at that time. By writing something on paper, you acknowledge your thoughts and feelings and are more easily able to move on. This trick is handy for those who have a racing mind that keeps them up at night. Once you write down your thoughts – something we like to call a “brain dump” – you can more easily focus on the task at hand. One task at a time.

2. Pay attention to your thoughts and the world around you – Take time to notice your environment and recognize each of your senses. Pay attention to when you feel good (your positive thoughts) and your environment. Pay attention to when you feel bad (your negative thoughts) and your environment. Most importantly, pay attention to what your body is telling you in these moments. Are you stressed? Is that causing you to hold tension in your jaw, forehead, and ears? Notice where you are clenching and release those areas to release the stress in your body.

3. Breathe awareness – When you come back to your breath and focus on it, you naturally lower your heart rate. Apple users out there have the “breathe” function on their Apple Watch. If you’re not an Apple user, here is the simple exercise you can do anytime/anywhere – inhale for a count of 5 and exhale for a count of 5. Let’s do it together right now… Inhale 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Exhale 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Repeat this seven times, and you will feel your heart rate decrease. That’s all it takes. 70 seconds.

4. Living in the moment – Find joy in simple pleasures/daily activities. On your next walk outside, simply enjoy the sounds of your surrounding without your devices on hand. Next time you do the dishes or brush your teeth, notice the warm water on your hands. Find appreciation and gratitude for all that you have and all that you have worked hard to achieve.

When practicing these exercises, accept (without judgment) both your positive and negative thoughts and always be kind to yourself.

 

Written by Devon Smout and Bethanney McCormick at The Collective

Written by Devon Smout at The Collective

Whether you are working at home or back in the office, staring at a computer screen and the same four walls for over eight hours a day is mentally and physically exhausting. Below are five tricks to staying healthy in the workplace… wherever it may be.

Get up from your chair once every hour.

Human beings were not designed to sit sedentary for 8+ hours a day. Sitting for too long is not good for our physical or mental health and may increase the risk of chronic health problems. Break up long sitting periods with movement – even just 1 to 2 minutes can help. The key here is to move more and sit less. After all, your next posture is your best posture.

This one goes hand in hand with staying hydrated – if you’re drinking plenty of water, getting up once every hour should be easy!

Stay hydrated.

Have you ever looked at the clock and realized that it’s lunchtime before you haven’t even had your first sip of water? Water is so important to prevent brain fog and flush out all the toxins in your body. I have had many conversations with others who gripe that drinking water “means I have to go the bathroom too much”. Going to the bathroom is actually a good thing! It means your body is benefiting from your intake of liquids and flushing out all those toxins.

Take breaks and make them productive.

It is so easy when working from home (or anywhere really) to forget about lunch. Eat a healthy lunch. So that lunchtime doesn’t become a burden during the workday, try planning ahead. Meal prep on Sundays and midweek – chop your veggies, cook your quinoa, OR if meal prep isn’t for you, make extra dinner the night before so you have lunch already prepared for the next day. Easy!

Incorporate movement as much as possible. My favourite part of the workday is a quick walk around the neighbourhood. If you can, 30 minutes at lunchtime, after you eat, can work wonders. If you don’t have 30 minutes to spare, even just 10 minutes will positively affect your mindset. Plus, if you’ve already prepped your lunch, you can use the time you would have spent making food to incorporate a daily walk instead.

Keep organized and shut it down.

At the end of each workday, clean and organize your workspace. Put away your laptop and shut it down, like really shut it off. Cleaning and organizing your workspace at the END of each day helps keep your mind clear in the evening, and you will be starting each morning fresh.

If you find yourself working late at home, try putting your documents away after dinner, at least in some organized pile. Organizing your workspace won’t tempt you to return to work later in the evening and stay awake into the night. Not to worry, your work will still be there tomorrow.

Practice self-care in your free time.

Self-care is different for everyone. It doesn’t necessarily mean a bubble bath with a face mask and a glass of wine. It can mean spending time outdoors, connecting with friends and family, exercising, journaling, practicing a mindfulness exercise. Take care of yourself by doing the things that you really LOVE to do.

 

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