MINDFULNESS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Recently, mindfulness has become a buzzword of some sort. There are hundreds of different mindfulness books and colouring books floating around in almost every shop you go into. Mindfulness originated in Buddhism. It is a very ancient religious practice which helps many religious and non-religious people in today's world. Mindfulness is focusing, non-judgmentally, on our emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring at one given moment. It helps us to accept our thoughts and feelings and adapt the way we think, feel and therefore act in everyday life. Although mindfulness is often used to treat mental health illnesses, is it not just restricted to those that suffer with mental health. Mindfulness has been proven to help all kinds of people. 

Patterned colouring books have become the new craze, although they have been around for a long time. They are designed to help reduce stress and therefore help people to control and improve their well-being. Many students use these books around exam period to reduce stress and to have a slight calming period before getting back onto revision. However, many people also use this in every day life. I came across this book while out shopping and just had to grab one myself. If you are thinking 'oh I definitely wouldn't have time for this' just dedicate 30 minutes a week to sitting down, relaxing and reliving child-hood memories with a colouring book. If you are finding that you really wouldn't have time for that either, maybe you need to find time for yourself, no matter what else is going on. Just 10 minutes a day really can change a lot! 

The first time I tried mindfulness was when I read Ruby Wax's book, Sane New World. I cannot explain how much it changed my outlook on life. It is such an amazing and quite literally life-changing book. I definitely think it helped me to get out of severe negative thinking. Ruby Wax studied mindfulness and psychotherapy for years and so the book is full of important and helpful explanations. If you are looking for a new read and would like to venture into the world of mindfulness, I would recommend that you read this book first! As Ruby Wax is a comedian, she also adds in humour which makes the book more interesting (than it already is). 

Reaping mindfulness into your everyday life can be very helpful and beneficial to your well-being. There are several different ways to do this: 

1. Take a couple of minutes to notice your surroundings and breathing. Use your 5 senses to evaluate your surroundings. 

2. Plan a few minutes out of your every day life every day where you don't do anything. Just sit, relax and be calm, thinking about your surroundings once again. 

3. Slow yourself down at some time, don't feel like you have to be busy for every moment of your life. We all have busy lives, but we have to find time to relax. Take a slow walk once in a while, listen to the birds chirping and take in the fresh air. 

4. Prioritise your well-being. The more often you practice mindfulness, the more beneficial it will be for you. 

5. Be patient, mindfulness doesn't help to improve your thoughts and feelings immediately, it takes time. If you don't think mindfulness is helping, you're most probably wrong, keep at it! 

Have you ever taken some time to practice some mindfulness? Do you think you would ever try mindfulness?