USING MINDFULNESS AFTER A NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY
August 31, 2020
We all have them. You know that day. Nothing goes right, it’s one stressor after another, and our stress and frustration lead to being overwhelmed and just wanting to go back to bed! And right now the stress seems to be higher than it might normally be so we are set off and overwhelmed more easily. What if there was a way to shift that no good, very bad day into something different?
Mindfulness is an effective method of helping our bodies decrease the stress response that is happening when we are having a bad day. This is simply focusing our attention on what is happening in the present moment and being intentional and aware of what we are doing. By doing this, we don’t necessarily get rid of the stressor, but we help our brain shift to be better able to manage the stress.
The first mindfulness strategy is breathing. By focusing on our breath as we take a deep breath in through our nose, feel our diaphragm expand, and then exhale slowly out our mouth, we help our system know that we can manage the situation. Take 2-3 deep breaths and notice how your body feels before, during and after.
Another way to engage in mindfulness is to connect with your senses. We have 5 senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. We get all of our information from these senses and when we can take a few minutes to reconnect with them, it offers our brain and body to assess our present moment differently. Notice 5 things you can see near you and pay attention to the details of each thing. Do the same with things you can hear and things you can touch.
Similarly, if we can turn that attention inward, we can do a body scan to assess how our whole body is feeling. Start with your feet and notice how they feel. Move your attention slowly up your body, to different parts and notice how they feel. Notice any tension. Once you reach your head notice how you feel.
Finally, you can use mindfulness in your everyday tasks. This helps us to slow things down, reduce those stressful feelings, and reconnect with what we are doing. Be aware of how it feels to brush your teeth. Notice the water on your hands when washing dishes. Feel your feet as you climb the stairs.
We don’t have to spend a lot of time in this space. Just enough to give our brain and our body a chance to regroup, but the more time we spend and the more we practise the easier it is to maintain an awareness and create a different kind of day for ourselves.