Mindful May

Welcome to May, also known as ‘mindful May,’ when we are encouraged to take a little time for ourselves and invest in mindful activities that can help bring positive impacts in our busy lives.

Sometimes it can feel that life coming out of the pandemic is busier than our lives were before it.  Therefore, it is more important than ever to make sure we take care of ourselves and put a little time aside for ourselves every day.

Setting aside just ten (10) minutes for ourselves to pursue mindfulness can make a big difference in our daily routine.  Ten minutes with no TV, no computer, no talking etc - just calm, can let our minds relax and repair from the chaos in a typical day. 

Here are eight (8) simple mindfulness habits you can practise every day:

• Sit in the morning. Take a few minutes to think about what you thankful for the day ahead. Concentrate on breathing deeply and slowly.
• Eat mindfully. Take the time to eat mindfully by really chewing your food and appreciating each bite.
• Spend time outside. Take time outdoors to breathe in the fresh air.  Simply walk around the neighbourhood or go to park to breathe in fresh air.
• Take some time to connect with your mind by taking time to breathe in and out slowly, focussing on each breath.  Breathe in relaxation, and breathe out stress.  This can help you relax and relieve stress.
• Focus on one task at a time. Do one thing at a time instead of many things at once and find that each task takes less time to do, and has less mistakes, than doing all things together.  Work is easier with an uncluttered mind.
• Feel Feelings. You should not avoid you feelings of happiness, sadness and anger, and don’t force yourself to be happy when you are not.  Acknowledge how you feel and address anything that needs to be dealt with.
• Create something. The act of creating something can feel incredibly rewarding.  Depending on where your skills and interests lie you could draw, paint, cook, build something (with wood, craft or even Lego) or take photos.
• Engage in physical activities. Doing physical activities we enjoy (like as cycling, running, organised sports, surfing etc) stimulates the brain's feel-good neurotransmitters (called endorphins) which can help beat stress.

Mindfulness and mental health

Mindfulness could be a useful tool to help boost your mental health and wellbeing (also known as emotional health). 

Mindful techniques that can help when feeling overwhelmed or stressed include:

1. Meditation
2. Breathing
3. Yoga

 For more information on being mindful in May, visit:

https://projecthappiness.mykajabi.com/blog/8-mindfulness-habits-you-can-practice-everyday?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6pOTBhCTARIsAHF23fIfa4GhDqm1rGNY

Connect Health & Community provides a range of counselling services for all members of the family.  For more information, visit our Counselling page.