Mindfulness is the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment—and accepting it without judgement. By focusing on the here and now, many people who practice mindfulness find that they are less likely to get caught up in worries about the future or regrets over the past are better able to form deep connections with others. It promotes positive changes in both physical and mental health.

Ways that you can practise Mindfulness:

These exercises can be done standing up or sitting down, and at any point of time.

Mindful Breathing: Start by breathing in and out slowly. Draw your focus from your thoughts to your breathing. Let yourself be still for one minute and continue to breathe in and breathe out. Repeat this pattern a few times until you feel relaxed and remember to only focus on your breathing.  

Mindful Observation: Choose a natural object from within your immediate environment and focus on it for a minute or two. The object could be a plant, the clouds, an insect, the stars, etc. Focus on the object that you choose and let go of other thoughts during this time. Give yourself the permission to connect with the object and its purpose.

Mindful Awareness: Think of something that happens every day more than once. For example, working on your computer system. While using the keyboard, stop and be mindful of where you are, the feel of the keyboard, the noise of the keys and the words appearing in front of you on the screen, let go of interfering thoughts during this time. 

Mindful Listening: Choose a sound that is common to you, like the sound of the coffee machine, fan or AC. Close your eyes and focus on the sound. Allow yourself to explore every aspect of that sound and permission to open up to the sound. The aim is to become engaged with it and let go of the worries during that time.

Mindful Appreciation: Notice 5 things in your day that usually go unappreciated, it could be objects or people. Pay extra attention to these things throughout your day. The objective is to be thankful for and appreciate the seemingly insignificant things in life. Even though they may not be significant, they still support our existence.

This timely awareness of our environment and ourselves could help us to cope with difficult thoughts and feelings, that cause us stress or anxiety in everyday life.

If you would like to know more about these techniques, need motivation to practise it or have a concern to discuss - our counsellors would be happy to help you.