Five ways to be more mindful every day
Mindfulness is a hot topic right now – so what is it, and how do you embrace it in your everyday life?
We’ve all heard of the term mindfulness, but what does it mean and how can we harness its powers to improve our health?
“Mindfulness is really taking hold nowadays,” says psychotherapist Noa Belling, whose new book, The Mindful Body, looks at why mindfulness is such a hot topic.
“I think it’s because we’re stressed, a lot of us are over-worked and we have a lot on our plate. Mindfulness offers us a way to be proactive in calming our bodies and clearing our minds.”
Here are Noa’s top five tips to embrace mindfulness every day:
- Take a moment
“I call them mindful body moments and they can be as short as 30 seconds,” she says. “You could be in the shopping line, or stuck in traffic, but just notice your surroundings and take it all in with fresh eyes.”
- Release tension
“Run your awareness through your body and help iron out any places and release tension you might be holding.”
- Acknowledge your emotions
“Your emotions can be like little children and they want attention,” Noa says. “Sometimes simply acknowledging your feelings can help you relieve tension.”
- Focus on your heart
“Pause for a moment and place your hand over your heart and have a little smile on your face. Doing so can begin to generate feel-good hormones to counteract stress hormones. Choosing to have a compassionate attitude toward yourself can also bring benefits to the brain, such as helping you to be more patient, insightful and positive.”
- Body mind reboot
“If you’re feeling emotional and if you’re sitting down, place your two hips evenly on the seat and place your feet squarely on the ground. Or if you’re standing, place your feet evenly on the ground to allow your body to centre and ground. This simple act of balancing and centring your body can generate a more balanced outlook towards whatever you may face.”
Noa adds it’s also important to manage technology use to be more mindful during the day.
- Related story: Is the stress of modern technology killing us early?
“What is getting lost when we spend a lot of time staring into our screens is our human connection,” Noa says.
“To remedy this, allow enough quality time to genuinely connect with the people you love. It’s also food for the soul to spend time in nature and to take time for self-care.”
The Mindful Body by Noa Belling. Published by Rockpool Publishing.
Written by Erin Miller
