The benefits of meditation and mindfulness are gaining traction in a range of areas. I have seen wonderful applications in the workplace, where mindfulness is encouraged not only to help employees manage stress and improve wellbeing, but also to help improve their communication effectiveness.
Take 5 minutes in your busy day to be mindful instead of mind full.
And this, a wonderful example of how mindfulness and meditation has been used in a school to help the children find a sense of calmness, enabling them to be more open to learning, considerate of self and others and even role modelling calming practices for their parents.
Personally, I prefer mindfulness over meditation. I find it is more manageable in my day and for my busy mind to embrace, and the benefits of each mindful moment contribute to keeping my wellbeing in balance and improves my overall productivity. If you haven’t yet tried it, I would strongly recommend you do.
HOW TO SNEAK A MOMENT OF MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is about being present so can be done anywhere, at almost any time…
walking - whether through a park or to your next meeting;
Pay attention to your feet as they carry you forward, feel the surface you are walking on (is it hard or soft…), notice the sights, smells and sounds you are walking past
breathing - whether at the beach with the fresh ocean air, or sitting at your desk taking a few conscious breaths
Consciously slow your breathing, inhaling through your nose, exhaling through your mouth, notice your breath filling your lunges, the expansion of your belly, the rise and fall of your shoulders, feel the tension releasing with each out breath.
listening – to the sounds of your favourite tunes, or the sounds in the workplace around you
Sit or stand comfortably and pause. Notice the sounds around you, interestingly you will first notice the obvious ones, the air-conditioner, cars passing by… and as you listen, you will start to notice the other less obvious sounds, perhaps birds chirping, the sound of rain against the window… perhaps even your own breathe or heart beat
The key to a mindful moment is to allow yourself to focus only on the present, without judgement and without being distracted by what has happened beforehand or what may happen next… just be in the moment.
Taking a few moments (regularly) to allow your mind to refocus in the present, has many benefits, including experiencing a sense of calm, reducing the feelings of stress, increasing awareness of self and surroundings, improved energy, attention and clarity of thinking and long term it contributes to our overall health and wellbeing.
Have you taken a moment for mindfulness today?
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If you would like further information or to arrange some support in building this skill please don’t hesitate to contact me. I look forward to helping you build your success your way.
Yours in success,
Vicki
