COVER STORY - Research Update
Mindfulness Techniques People Can Try at Home
BREATHE
PRACTICE BEING PRESENT
Taking a conscious, deep belly
breath and letting it out slowly has
a profound effect on mind and body
by sending a message to the nervous
system to calm down. When feeling
stressed or anxious it is common to take shallow breaths
that can actually signal
one’s mind-body to feel
even more anxious. Some
practice deep breathing by
actually counting during
each breath. One controlled
breathing method is to breathe in to
the count of four silently through
the nose, hold your breath for seven
counts, and then exhale through
your mouth for eight counts. This
can be repeated as often as desired.
Set an alarm or set aside certain times of each day to check
in with yourself. Focus only on what you are feeling inside
and only in the present. Do you feel nervous, tense, happy, or
angry? Observe what you are feeling, describe
it to yourself, and then act with awareness moving forward without any
judgment or “should.” You are
now more aware of what is going
on inside of you. You can also
practice mindfulness by listening attentively to someone else
or being more focused on your
environment in the present
moment. For example, do you
hear any birds chirping, the noise
of cars passing by, or any smells? It
can be very enlightening when you bring
your attention to what is around you and not the
stories or talk going on in your head.
STOP MULTI-TASKING
SMARTPHONE? TRY A MINDFUL APP
When you are doing everyday tasks
and activities, try to be present
during that time and put your attention on whatever you are actually
doing instead of letting your mind
wander. Whenever the mind wanders
from watching what you are doing,
gently and simply bring it back to the
here and now.
For example, if you are in the kitchen
washing dishes, put your attention
on that instead of focusing on your
to-do list or other stressors. If you
do start to think of other things,
gently remind yourself to bring your
mind back to the present without
judgment. This transforms ordinary
actions into mindfulness activities.
If you need a reminder of this, place
sticky dots or reminder notes in strategic places such as in the kitchen
or on your toothbrush. Even a few
minutes a day without anticipating,
planning, or regretting can restore
our sanity and peace.
With so many apps available, here are suggestions:
• Mindfulness Bell by Spotlight Six Software – Lets you specify a timeframe to practice and times for it to chime in that timeframe.
• Headspace (on the go) by Headspace Meditation Limited –
Provides meditation sessions and animations about how the
mind works and tips on how to sit and breathe; also allows
you to set meditation reminders and track your activity.
• The Mindfulness App by MindApps - Comes with guided meditation practices of 3, 5, 15, and 30 minutes in length. There’s also
a silent meditation option and a brief body-scan practice.
• Mindfulness Meditation by Mental Workout – Six different
lengths of meditation practice with less guidance, but that might be preferable for those who seek instruction but not a constant stream of it.
• Conscious by Makan Studios – A daily challenge that focuses on one thing to be more mindful that day. An example of a
challenge would is noticing the sound of the wind for that day.
Further Mindfulness Resources
www.mindful.org/
marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=16
health.ucsd.edu/specialties/mindfulness/mbsr/Pages/audio.aspx
www.pennmedicine.org/stress/
www.mindfullivingprograms.com/
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