Usually, I would take strolls in the Morning or Evening when there are far fewer people , so I can get the solitude that I wouldn’t usually get at home. However, yesterday afternoon I needed a mental break, alongside the desire to regulate my emotions I took my mask and my phone and took an intentional stroll; I could feel myself rushing to head to a more quiet area that I knew of but, I suddenly started to slow down, realising the golden hour. I changed my mind to head home to sit in the children’s park to watch the sun go down amongst the laughter and the chatter of kids, families and fellow people on their journey. For moments, I was able to think of nothing, which is rare for most adults. I was mindful of how cold I was feeling so I started to head back home; though turning around and seeing this sight kept me longing to stay around and bask that is; my present.
Capturing the moment I couldn’t resist but to stay in
I’ve been having moments like this a lot for me recently. There is a serenity that comes with acknowledging the development of man alongside the strong presence of what is natural and divine. This acceptance takes away the stuffiness I feel when I walk down the street; for a few moments, I can see that the world itself is flawless by accepting the flaws it has. The idea that everything is constant, twisting and turning with an intent.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference- Reinhold Niebuhr
Niebuhr, R., 1943. The serenity prayer. Bulletin of the Federal Council of Churches.
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Taking Notice! Mindfulness programmes are naturally encouraged in an open space, outside where the grass is green, and the birds are chirping but there are times when we don’t have the energy to go outside and in some cases, you may not be in a position to leave an enclosed space, so here is what I do to stay mindful; to reduce stress and attain a moment of calm within closed walls.
First, mindfulness meditation is slightly different from what we understand about ‘meditation’.
Concentrative meditation involves focusing on a specific thing while tuning out everything else around you this would be Hollywood’s interpretation of Meditation, which is for instance focusing on a mantra like ‘Oms’ or reciting an affirmation slowly.
Mindful Meditation is about awareness and accepting your environment.
The Benefits of Mediation:
Anxiety, depression and irritability all decrease with regular sessions of meditation.
Memory improves; reactions times are faster
Mental and Physical stamina improves
Creativity Increases
Regular meditators enjoy better and more fulfilling relationships
Let’s try it now! so focus, breath in, and breathe out slowly. Doing this at a set time daily has proven to have long-term effects on reducing anxiety, and preventing depression and for those who already have depression, it can help with your transition out of it.
Okay so let’s practice:
*Ideally you will be in a quiet area but when there is noise don’t see it as a distraction, accept it
Step 1: Sit Erect
Step 2: Now, focus on the breath, focus on your inhale and your exhale steadily and keep this up (when your mind wanders, gently and slowly bring your attention back)
Step 3: Keep this up for 2 minutes
You will slowly get the hang of it and adjust how long you will want to meditate.
Clearing Myths about meditation:
Okay, about meditation; referencing the words of Mark Williams and Danny Penman:
It’s not about becoming lazy, deadening your mind or accepting the unacceptable, it’s about providing greater clarity- spotting negative patterns and putting you back in control to make more considered decisions to change what needs to be changed
There is no failure or success, it can be difficult but just trying is already a good step
Patience and persistence are required but meditation liberates you from the pressure of time
I sincerely recommend their book: Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a frantic world. Their book provides a practical guide for practising mindfulness based on Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and is suitable for people who don’t have a particular emotional or mental disorder. This book really opened my eyes when I was feeling overwhelmed and incapable of moving away from destructive emotions. A true beginner’s guide to putting a stop to obsessive negative cycles.
For those who may need more help one of the co-authors of mindfulness, co-wrote a book called: The Mindful Way through Depression. Both books have gotten positive feedback, you might want to check them out.
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Diary Entries
Journalling, is another well-known activity for health and wellness and there are two types:
Expressive writing: journalling your innermost feelings and thoughts; focusing on the experience.
Gratitude journaling: focusing on the positive aspects of life by capturing situations, events, and interactions for which you are grateful.
The Benefits of Journalling run far and wide and I don’t want to bore you with endless facts, so here are a few:
Reducing anxiety
Breaking away from a nonstop cycle of obsessive thinking and brooding
Improving the awareness and perception of events
Regulating emotions
Encouraging awareness
Boosting physical health
You do not have to restrict yourself to traditional journalling (writing in a notebook), you can also type in a digital notepad or voice record on your phone, whatever works for you. The most important point is that you feel safe and comfortable doing the activity.
Privacy:
I had an old friend find my diary and just read a page out of my book before so I definitely recommend thinking of ways to make sure your diary logs remain private. Unless you’re leaving your thoughts to be passed down like Marcus Aurelius I would encourage you to maybe purchase a book with a padlock.
Open-up Your Senses
This builds a sense of awareness which is necessary when you numb yourself from the sometimes suffocating feeling of an enclosed space, it’s up to you to decide what you do with this feeling so that it is not prolonged (now that you have noticed).
Sight: State 3 things you see around you that vary in distance
Smell: What does your environment smell like (if you have an odour you should probably take a shower, it will make you feel better, trust me)
Taste: Are you eating something? what does it taste like? (if your mouth is kind of bitter and you’re not eating, you should probably brush your teeth)
Touch: Touch some fabric and then touch the skin on your face, notice the difference
Sound: Concentrate and in your head (or out loud if you want) describe 3 things you hear around you
Opening up/ activating your senses is about grounding yourself in the moment- this is an exercise that is helpful when you are feeling overwhelmed.
Time Management Games/ Hobbies
Time management tasks are not supposed to make you feel rushed or competitive. The goal is to use your patience to focus on a particular task to achieve a desired outcome. Some of the main causes of stress are when your input doesn’t give you your aspired output, where the actual self is far from your ideal self. It’s the worst feeling ever
Time management activities can help take some pressure off yourself mentally and physically and make you feel a sense of accomplishment when you’re feeling overwhelmed by negative emotions/moods. Some examples of some Time management tasks :
Washing the dishes
Jigsaw Puzzles: I prefer pictures that are not repetitive in pattern and shades of colour (I saw a jigsaw puzzle online and the image was a wave; imagine trying to differentiate between 2-3 shades of blue and some white pieces, figuring out which goes where for a 1000 piece puzzle! I cry)
Chess: (If you already know how to play) a game that teaches you to have some pace and be mindful of your actions there are various free apps available.
If you have any more suggestions let me know; more variety makes it more interesting and less repetitive.
To sum up, there aren’t any chronological steps or regulations for mindfulness it’s all about you being at ease and being present; its as simple as taking a deep breath, just like that and for a second you feel a connection with yourself a connection that grounds you, making you feel in control. With enough consistency, you can feel your anxiety, stress and tension decrease as you set out to do other activities.
I am glad you have stopped by &Eunoia today for many this will be your first time here so I will tell you a little bit about this blog and what my intentions for it are.
Wellbeing is a topic that I feel is too easily dismissed and really shouldn’t be in this day and age. I believe there are not enough spaces for people to comfortably sit down, reflect, asses and take action on improving our wellbeing.
I hope this can be one of those spaces for you to do that.
I intend for this to be a comforting space for people who come from all walks of life to sit down and just take a moment to see what has worked for me and to make you feel the warmth and genuine support I want to give to you. The core values for this blog includes: Awareness; Perspective taking and Independence, with that I want to make it clear this is a wellness and lifestyle blog; which I have based off of the NHS’s 6 ways to wellbeing. The topics I will constantly be covering:
Take Notice: This will mainly focus on mindfulness
Connect: This will mainly have posts abouts relationships including the one we have with ourselves
Give: There’s a lot to say about the power of giving but do expect posts on the topic of receiving
Learn + Discover: Learning new skills can also improve your mental well being; a lot of these posts will surround my personal adventures and reflections on those
Be Active: As someone who is anemic and currently pretty lazy, the discussion will surround proactivity regarding working but reflections and tips when it comes to physical activity
I hope you can take out intentional moments to sit down and have a read; to the side (if your reading this on a PC, if not at the bottom) you will see a calendar that circles all my posts this month if you would like to look back. You will also see a Playlist that I put together as you read, (these songs aren’t mines, all rights go to the original owner, you can see the title and the artist for reference).
Blog Posts will be uploaded every Monday at 8pm 🙂
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Take Notice- Mindfulness Outdoors
Take Notice! Putting mindfulness into practice every day can positively affect the brain patterns underlying day-to-day anxiety, stress, depression and irritability. When we are engaging with our stressors it can leave us feeling unpleasant and unsatisfied with ourselves, we might start thinking about our ideals and indulge ourselves in practices that quickly bring us gratification such as escapism, rather than showing gratitude for where we are right now and being ‘okay’ with it. Aspirations and pleasure are not at all bad, however, they can become unhelpful as they can put further pressure on us by negatively perceiving and challenging our current being. Here is what I do actively, to reduce tension, by staying present at the moment.
Walking without Music
Why do you listen to music when you are in transit? I knew I did so because I wanted to flush out the loud noise of my environment; everything was frantic without music and it just felt like it was adding to my stress. But, when you remove your earphones, after some time you begin to accept the noise, acknowledge your surroundings, and focus on what you’re doing. This mindfulness activity allowed me to ground myself in the reality that I am in, giving myself time to accept my emotions, acknowledge what my current thoughts are and narrow down my thinking and decision process.
Taking Pictures of the scenery
Do you ever associate a smell, a taste, or a location with a good memory? Well, photos allow me to do that but have the further benefit of becoming aware of my present.
I never bothered with photos in the past because everything always seemed so frantic in every moment I was in, so I didn’t think about taking a photo unless it was with friends. However, there came an instance when things started to quiet down, it was my birthday and I was outside sitting down with my friend on the edge of a lake. The sun was setting beautifully and my friend and I comfortably appreciated the beauty with awe, I took out my phone to capture the moment.
That picture is now a trigger to a node in my mind that allows me to reminisce on the past but more so replicate how I felt in my present reminding me to value the beauty of the present. It’s a stress reliever during difficult times and I don’t even need a high-class camera for it videos can also remind you to be grateful and value the ups and downs of life and just live in the moment.
Photography can encourage you to pause and take notice of what is going on around you. Here are a few photos that I took on days that I realised were quite important to me:
I am sure that the place where you live has its beauty, but you need to go outside your typical routine to see that.
Walking for the sake of Walking
Walking is the best hobby I have ever taken on (when it’s not raining). I walk to discover and explore new locations in my city but as of recently I have been feeling quite overwhelmed so rather than having a destination, I just walk for the sake of walking, no end goal, no time restraints, just comfortably but safely walking. I tend to self-reflect when I find a place to sit but as I am walking I allow my mind to stay clear; accepting what’s going on around me and seeing everything as part of my journey rather than a distraction during my journey.
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Getting Lost
Maybe I should be more euphemistic, ‘Taking a detour’. Safety is of the utmost importance when doing this, I particularly look out for landmarks to get a rough assumption as to where I am and how far I am from my destination (of course, you can use google maps, but where’s the fun in that). I feel like there are two benefits to having a bit of a wander; one, being that exploring the area you live in and probably discovering new aspects of it that may benefit you.
Once I took a spontaneous stroll and saw some big lights flashing in an area not too far from me, so I walked there out of curiosity and guess what my introverted, broke, student-self found, an ASDA! More specifically a High street retail park (KFC, McDonald’s, Argos, and Pond stretcher all in one place, secluded from the busy streets of my university). The local stores around my student accommodation had a lot of students going there thus it was often crowded and had long queues. Making it so exhausting and uncomfortable to shop. Honestly, it was a dream come true, picture yourself listening to an alternative/indie playlist, walking through some awkward paths in the dark (don’t do this) and then as the song is reaching its climax, BOOM you discover something beautiful! for me that just happened to be ASDA.
The second benefit is the increase in my awareness going on a detour automatically makes you cautious as you tread on land that you don’t have much knowledge of. As you can guess being aware also means your being mindful. Subconsciously you start to simplify your thoughts and direct them to the reality of how close am I to my destination, what is on my left? What is on my Right? What is behind me and what is in front of me? And if you take on any of my tips you might see something pleasing to the eye and take a picture of it.
This rounds up the top 4 things I do to stay present and reduce tension.
Ester's Eunoia 