Mindfulness is a good method of self-care. It helps us be in tune with ourselves, and guides us to listen, pay attention and honour the experiences we go through each day. Here are three ways we can practice meditation when we are out and about every day, as suggested by Rohan Gunatillake, founder of Mindfulness Everywhere.
1) Use signs in our environment as reminders to practice mindfulness. For example, stop signs and red lights can be reminders to stop, be aware of ourselves and check in with our emotions. Exit signs can be reminders to remove negative thinking. Signs can be interpreted in many ways, and Gunatillake encourages people to be imaginative when interpreting them.
2) Use the acronym RAIN, especially when feeling distressed or overwhelmed:
Recognise the event happening.
Allow it to happen – have a non-judgmental view of the event and yourself.
Investigate what is happening – What details do you notice? What were you feeling when it was happening?
Not me. By observing the difficult event, can you realise that it is not part of you?
3) Think narrow. It is hard for our mind to have a broad view of things when we are worrying. Hence, having a narrow perspective can help remind ourselves of life’s wonders. A simple exercise he suggests is looking at the back of our hand, describing the patterns of tiny triangles and the shape of the hairs. Negative thoughts of self-judgment may come out. Use these to see the distinction between hearing the negative thoughts and how it feels to just pay attention to how amazing our hand is. Refocus your attention to tangible reminders of the beauty of life.
Category(s):Mindfulness, Self-Care / Self Compassion
Source material from PsychCentral
