What is Mindfulness and how can it help me?
Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment without judgment. When we feel like we have so many thoughts in our heads and we are worrying about the future or things we regret in the past, it can help to take a mindful minute. Try to focus your attention on the present moment. Mindfulness can help us be in control of our minds, rather than allowing our minds to be in control of us. |
So how do you practice mindfulness?
Mindfulness does not need to be complicated, and you don't have to practice it for long periods of time!
You can practice doing anything mindfully using the following steps:
You can practice doing anything mindfully using the following steps:
- Identify what you will focus on. This could be your breath, an object (picture, candle, etc.), or an activity (cleaning, drawing, eating, etc.)
- Bring your attention to this focus
- When your attention wanders away (which it will, so don't judge yourself!), notice that it has happened, and gently bring your attention back to the focus.
Guided Mindfulness Exercises
Mindfulness Meditation with a focus on the breath:
Campfire scene
Focus for 2 minutes at a time, first focusing your attention only on the fire, then only on the birds, then only on the river, and then on the whole scene at once:
Mindfulness Scripts & Ideas to Practice Independently
-Mindful eating script (this script uses a raisin but feel free to use chocolate or something else you enjoy!):
mindful_eating.pdf | |
File Size: | 79 kb |
File Type: |
-Mindful walks are a great way to practice mindfulness, get some exercise, and get fresh air all at once, especially now that the weather is getting nicer! You can find an audio recording of a mindful walking script here to help guide you when you first start out: https://www.mindful.org/daily-mindful-walking-practice/
-Mindful body scan to help bring awareness to physical sensations in different parts of your body:
body_scan.pdf | |
File Size: | 137 kb |
File Type: |
-Mindful breathing script:
mindful_breathing.pdf | |
File Size: | 112 kb |
File Type: |