Anxiety can be mentally draining and have real physical impacts. Before feeling helpless about being anxious, remember that research shows it is possible to reduce both anxiety and stress through basic mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness involves paying more attention to daily life and all its events rather than being in a rush to get them over with. Mindfulness helps reduce brain volume by reconnecting your body to itself.
Don’t stress – practicing mindfulness doesn’t require shelling out an hour’s pay on classes or contorting yourself into awkward poses. Chances are you already possess all the equipment needed for effective mindfulness practice! Use these tricks to add small bursts of mindfulness throughout your day to reduce anxiety and calm your brain.
- Set An Intention
Your yoga teacher asks you to set an intention each day as part of their class practice, whether that means writing it in your journal or setting one before important activities like giving speeches at work – setting an intention can help focus and remind you why you’re accomplishing something. Setting one can also reduce anxiety about anything that seems daunting like public speaking or making difficult decisions at work – setting one will make life much simpler!
Setting an intention to care for your body before heading to the rec center or making healthy food choices before eating will allow you to create positive change and feel good in yourself.
- Do A Directed Meditation Or Mindfulness Practice
Meditation doesn’t need to be complicated or time consuming – all it takes is finding some quiet space and opening an app or online program to start practicing meditation. Apps and online programs provide an accessible entryway into this ancient tradition without committing yourself to costly classes or taking up too much of your day. There are also plenty of free, guided meditations online – check out this list of options for more guidance.
- Doodle Or Color
Arrange a couple minutes of free-form doodle time each day, and allow your mind a break. If drawing isn’t your forte, spend money on an adult coloring book – that way you’ll achieve something tangible without feeling intimidated by an empty page!
- Take A Walk
Being outside can do wonders to reduce anxiety. Pay attention to the sounds, breeze and scents in your surroundings – without using your phone! Just stay present by focusing on you, your senses and environment around you – start small – just walk around a square, listen out for what sounds are being made and notice how you feel afterwards.
- Wish Others Happiness
seconds per day to randomly wish others happiness; you don’t even need to inform anyone directly of this wish, just set positive energy. Give this practice a go in your drive, workplace, fitness center or while waiting in line – especially if someone becomes annoyed or upset and you pause before responding with negativity: instead wish them happiness (even inwardly) instead! Meng may well have something here – with eight Nobel Peace Prize nominations already, there could be something here!
- Look Up
Not simply at the screen in front of you (although do that as well!), but at the stars. When taking out the trash or returning late home late at night, take a moment and look up at the stars for just a moment; take several deep breaths as you gaze upon their glory; let the universe remind you that life is beyond any concerns or inbox issues.
- Brew On It
Tea drinking is an honorable tradition in many societies around the world. Engage fully with this tradition and focus on each step: how do the leaves smell when you remove them, or what does the water look like when adding the tea, watching as steam ascends from your cup, experiencing its warmth against your hand and tasting your drink without distraction or interruption. Alternatively, this practice can easily be achieved when making flavorful French-pressed coffee instead!
- Focus On One Thing At A Time
Your daily plan can become an exercise in mindfulness if executed effectively. Set a five-minute timer and focus solely on one task for five minutes without checking phones, notifications or perusing online – no multitasking whatsoever – before returning back to that task when the timer goes off. Allow all attention to focus on it until timer goes off again.
- Leave Your Phone Behind
Leave Your Phone Behind Are You Carrying Your Phone Everywhere You Go & When Eating? Rather than agonize over it, leave it behind when entering another room, using the restroom, eating, sitting down to eat or going into the bathroom – your phone will always be there when finished!
- Transform Family Tasks Into A Mental Break
Instead of fixating on your daily agenda or mess, allow yourself to embrace each occasion as it comes. Dance while doing dishes; observe how soap runs down tiles when cleaning the shower; take five sluggish breaths while you wait for your microwave to shut off; daydream while ironing clothing.
- Journal
Journal Thisecriture There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to journaling; from using an organized 5-Minute Journal to simply writing down random thoughts on random scraps of paper, the act of writing helps calm both mind and anxiety. Try keeping a gratitude journal or simply write down three good things from today.
Takeaway
Each moment of mindfulness makes a difference. What matters most is being consistent in your practice of mindfulness; according to research, practicing daily can help calm the mind and move past negative emotions more easily. Take five minutes each day for yourself or something similar – such as meditation or mindfulness practices that you enjoy – just for yourself!
