Anxiety is a serious problem that can only be interpreted by the person going through it. If you feel your heart pounding and racing at an unbelievable speed. Don’t worry! I’ve got your back by listing down some of the fun facts about how to practice mindfulness. People who are anxious typically run out of breath as well. For them, worrying is the be-all and end-all of a day-to-day routine. Gulping down anti-stress tablets is the worst thing you can do to yourself. It not only worsens the issue but results in unwanted adverse effects as well.
“An anxious mind is like a person trapped in a box, wanting to come out but unable to do”
What is Mindfulness?
People who face stress and anxiety problems lack calmness in their heads. Mostly they are such people who do not know how to practice mindfulness in daily life. They have a list of things to worry and overthink about. Mindfulness is a very effective solution that helps in combating stress, anxiety, depression, and other related issues. Now, what exactly is mindfulness?
- Mindfulness means attending to the thoughts of your mind on a one-on-one basis. You must generate awareness about body sensations and the atmosphere around you in a gentle manner. However, all this is done/practiced in a calm state of mind.
- Judging your thoughts without examining them in a natural time-taking way can be harmful as well. This is another problem point that mindfulness entertains. During these exercises, you need to feel your thoughts naturally instead of what will possibly lead to. For instance, consider that you have the feeling
“I am feeling sad because I don’t have a good salary, or I cannot afford a luxury sedan”.
During mindfulness exercises, you only need to focus on the sadness being felt. The mind should not examine or concentrate on what the possible reasons are.
Types of Mindfulness
There are multiple mindfulness options you can practice. Some common ones are listed below. You can use these effective methods to know how to practice mindfulness.
1. Paying Attention to Breathing
Breathing is one of the most productive mindfulness options you can look at. If you are feeling stressed out. You need to start by laying down on your back. The hands should on be on your sides in a calm and unstressed position with the palms facing up. The legs should be in a straight posture in an unstressed manner. After that breathe inside out slowly and pay attention to each body part to determine sensations and feelings. Gradually, the stress levels in each part would start getting eliminated.
2. Meditation While Sitting
This can easily be termed as one of the most effective mindfulness methods. The posture is very simple to practice. Simply sit with your back in a straight upright position. The legs should be folded to form a lap. More importantly, no part of the body should be stressed. Once you have made the correct posture, start breathing in and out. Pay attention to each cycle of breathing and avoid physical interruptions. If there are any, track them and repeat the cycle again.
3. Meditation While Walking
Walking improves the level of blood flow in the body, but you need to follow certain steps for attaining the best results. First, find a quiet place that does not have a lot of people. Secondly, the minimum walking distance must be from 10 to 20 feet. While walking, do not focus on anything else and pay attention to standing, lifting the step, and placing it down again. This practice is very good for combating anxiety and mental stress if practiced repeatedly.
Hand-Picked Resource: Lose Belly Fat Fast
Benefits of Mindfulness Practice
There are several benefits of mindfulness including the following:
1. A Strong Natural Remedy for Anxiety and Depression
Anxiety and depression are chronic medical problems increasing rapidly these days. These problems cut down the productivity level and make it hard for an individual to concentrate on something. With proper mindfulness practice, these problems are combated in the perfect manner.
2. Solution for Insomnia
The mind has been designed to stay active for some hours and sleep for the remaining. People who have stress or anxiety-related issues are unable to sleep or their sleep duration is not more than a couple of hours. This not only hampers productivity but has serious health hazards. With how to practice mindfulness techniques, sleep patterns are improved.
3. Attention and Concentration Ability Improvement
It is impossible to accomplish any goal if you are unable to concentrate on things. People who suffer from anxiety face chronic concentration problems. The reason is that their mind is always in a worried state which is why their attention span is very low. With how to practice mindfulness activities, you can improve your concentration ability since the mind is in a calmer state.
4. Reduction of Irritation and Burnout
A simple fact about anxiety and stress patients is quick burnout. Someone who has anxiety problems is expected to burn out in a very short span. Mindfulness actively works on this issue and reduces the level of emotional reactivity. In other words, a person stops reacting to small things as the patience level improves.
How to Practice Mindfulness and Meditation?
We have a look at our normal lives, they are quite fast and If obviously, you cannot slow them down. If you are unable to relax during the day, there are higher chances that you would end up with anxiety. Mindfulness helps in staying relaxed and calm mentally. How can you practice it?
Here are some methods you can take into consideration:
Taking a Walk
A lot of psychiatrists and psychologists recommend walking to people who complain about depression and anxiety. Make sure that you walk away from your usual environment as change is very important. Some people go to a walking area or garden to breathe in some fresh air and re-energize themselves. This is a very productive practice. However, if you don’t have the facility to do so, simply take a walk away from where you live.
Mindfulness is Recommended During the Morning Hours
It is important to understand that mindfulness cannot be practiced at all hours and you need to do it at the start of the day. Morning hours are peaceful, and the mind is fueled with energy after a night’s sleep. Along with that, the atmosphere is quiet which is mandatory for practicing mindfulness.
Changing the Environment by Going Out
It is a fact that staying in one environment can prove to be very harmful to mental health and productivity. Your mind needs a break that is provided by a change in the atmosphere. If you are at the office, try to go out of the building and take a walk during lunch hours. While being at home, you can do the same according to your suitability.
Facts About Mindfulness Practice
There are several myths that people have about mindfulness. You need to be knowledgeable enough to have fact awareness. Here are some of them:
1. Not Connected to Controlling the Future
Mindfulness is not about controlling the future. It is also not for repairing any damage done due to any mistake. The sole purpose is restricting yourself to live in the current moment only. Worrying about the future or planning does not do any good. They simply keep the mind in a continuously stressful state. This situation gradually leads to anxiety.
2. Spending Money on Expensive Kits is Not Mandatory
It is important to remember that buying expensive equipment does not help in achieving the best mindfulness results. This is more about concentrating and being present in a quiet environment. However, an important point is choosing the right clothing. Make sure that you do not wear heavy clothes as this prevents the body from reaching a comfortable state.
Mindfulness is Not in Your Head
This is an important aspect that one should know about before he or she starts mindfulness sessions. These practices are not related to the mind in any way and do not hamper your neural functions. Mindfulness is related to the body only. It is all about getting aware of different body parts and knowing about the sensations. In other words, you need to figure out what your body parts are feeling.
Should We Practice Mindfulness
Anxiety and stress are always coming our day considering that the world is becoming faster and more competitive. Jobs are becoming more challenging and so is education. As a result, more people are getting affected by mental disorders. Mindfulness is a natural and effective way to focus and concentrate on the moment you are in. Instead of being apprehensive about what will happen in the time to come, your core focus should be concentrating on the present.
Should we practice mindfulness? The definite answer to this question is yes. To operate fully and attain the best results, you need to stay calm and not worry about what is about to happen or has taken place in the past. With mindfulness, you learn the art of focusing on the present moment.
How Often You Should Do Mindfulness Practice?
Mindfulness should be a daily practice since it works on the routine that people go through on day to day basis. More importantly, practice it in the morning. This energizes the mind and helps in combating exhaustion.
- It is important to have daily timing for executing mindfulness activities. This helps in establishing routine uniformity.
- There should be a pre-defined duration for this purpose on day to day basis.
Does Mindfulness Affect Our Daily Lives?
Does mindfulness have an impact on our daily lives? Do people experience any kind of improvement in their mental state when they practice it? It is an undoubted fact that mindfulness brings a lot of positivity to day-to-day schedules.
Let us examine a few aspects of this relationship:
1. Reduced Stress Margins
The regular workload of pressure to score high academic grades can cause a lot of stress. This develops into anxiety if not treated or stopped at the right time. Mindfulness reduces stress levels and restores calmness throughout the day. As a result, you can function properly without tension.
2. Better Productivity and Results
Some people are unable to perform well. They are unable to portray productivity. Mindfulness has a very strong positive impact in this case. It makes the mind calm so that one can focus on a specific task only and avoid unwanted apprehensions.
3. Thinking Becomes Scalable
People who face anxiety and depression issues have a one-track mind. They are unable to focus on things with a variable approach. In the long run, this can cause a lot of problems. To cater to diverse situations, your mind should be scalable.
4. Relationships Strengthen
People who face anxiety or depression-related problems are mostly unable to carry out their relationships properly. Accordingly, it is hard for them to have stable bonds with their loved ones. Once they practice meditation and other mindfulness activities, they achieve mental happiness and calmness. Thus, this helps in having improved positive relationships with loved ones.
Suggested: Role Strain
What Else You Should Know About It?
Indeed, you should remember that Mindfulness is not something that will create overnight magic. Moreover, it must be a daily practice to reform thinking patterns. The goal is to concentrate on only one thing at a time. Usually, people try to multitask and do several things at the same time. This is not a positive practice since there is no such thing as multitasking. When you are doing several things at the same time, it is task switching. Thus, proper attention is not being given to any individual tasks. Hence, nothing is accomplished properly.
Another key point is that you should select the correct environment for multitasking. Even if you try to meditate in a noisy environment for hours, nothing positive will happen. The best results will be achieved when you are present in a quiet environment.
How to Practice Mindfulness Meditation?
There is no rocket science involved in practicing mindfulness meditation. Let’s have a glance at the core aspects:
- Have mindfulness as a part of the regular schedule. Don’t make this a weekly based habit. Instead, you need to practice it every day so that your thought process and concentration ability improves.
- It is important to realize the sensations attained through different body parts. While meditating, make sure that you are focusing on one point only. There should not be any worries or apprehensions in your mind. These practices help in focusing on the current time and not making too many futuristic plans.
How to Practice Mindfulness for Anxiety?
Accordingly, here are certain mindfulness activities that are designed to help you with anxiety:
- Wishing well for others even if you are not being vocal about it works quite well. It brings your mind into a state of positivity.
- Taking walk is very helpful if you are using the right tips. To start with, do not carry your smartphone while going for a walk. Check the environment while being on the move. See what other people are doing and feel the wind against your skin. All these tips help in combating anxiety.
- Multi-tasking is more of talking than doing. Researches show that it increases stress levels. Instead, pay attention to one task at a time. Set a timer for it and do not have any interruptions till the time ends.
