First of all let us be clear about what Mindfulness is.

Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way…. on purpose in the present moment, non-judgmentally, to things as they are…   (Jon Kabat-Zinn)

So, Mindfulness is about paying attention – bringing our attention to something in a particular way, e.g. for some reason. We are doing it on purpose and in the “now”. We are not doing this so we can judge what we are experiencing but rather just being aware of how things are. We are just becoming present, paying attention, to the present.

We can become present to our breathing, our movements, our thoughts, our pain, anything. We are just paying attention to what is happening within us. Before I give you some examples of how to integrate mindful exercises into your day let us just look at what anxiety is so we can see how useful Mindfulness can be in helping with this.

The Oxford dictionary gives the following as a definition of anxiety

“anxiety (about/over something) the state of feeling nervous or worried that something bad is going to happen acute/intense/deep anxiety.”

Anxiety is often associated with fear –fearing that the worst is going to happen – catastrophizing about the worst case scenario. People suffering from anxiety are usually worrying about the future, what is going to happen and fearing the worst.

Anxiety is something that happens within us, in our head (although severe anxiety does have physical effects) whereas stress is something that happens from outside of us. Stress is when we are asked to do more than we feel we have the recourses to cope with.  I make this distinction because if anxiety is in our own heads then, I think, we have the power to overcome it.

Mindfulness helps us to live in the present moment and that is why it can be really helpful for people who suffer with anxiety. It brings them to the present rather than the future. If we are in the present then there can be no worries about the dreaded future and what might or might not happen. Each of us have the power to choose what we think about, no-one makes us think our thoughts!

I often tell/show people the Worry Tree (downloadable at) https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/worrytree.htm    as another  tool that can help them with their worries. It can help them to look at their worries and analyse them and see if they need to worry so much about them. Is there something I can do about this worry? Is it hypothetical? Can I put this worry away for a few hours/days?

If we are in charge of what we think about then we can choose to worry or choose to think of something else, to become present to the” now”.  It is our head! I am not saying that it is easy because if you are in a state of anxiety for a long time it can take time to change. Like anything if you want to change you have to put the effort in and if you have been thinking one way for a long time it can take time for a new way to become the norm.

Below are 4 exercises that may help you. The first 2 require that you take time out of your day to do them; the other 2 can be integrated into your everyday life.

Exercise 1 – Our thoughts. We may want to get into a comfortable position so we are not going to be distracted by our posture. Then we just bring our mind to our thoughts. We can think of them as clouds drifting through the sky. They pass by, we are not jumping on one and going with it but if this happens we notice that is what we have done and just come back to our image of the clouds in the sky. Distractions are bound to happen and that is OK. We just notice that we have been distracted and come back to watching them come and go. Another image you may like to use is that of trains passing through a station. A train comes, stops for a moment and then moves on out of the station. We just let the thoughts come without judging them or reacting to them.

Exercise 2 – Our Breathing. We become aware of our breathing, the breath going in and out of our nose/mouth. We may notice our chest rise and fall and our shoulders moving slightly. We just sit and let it happen, not trying to change it or judge it (“I should be breathing deeper;” “Why am I breathing so shallowly?”) Mindfulness is just accepting that that is how it is – it is OK. If our mind drifts off to think of other things we gently bring it back to our breathing.

With these exercises above you need to take time out of your day to practice them. They say that just doing Mindfulness for 10 minutes every day can make a big difference to your mental and physical state.

There are lots of ways of integrating Mindfulness into your everyday activities. So if you don’t think you can find 10 minutes every day to sit down and devote to yourself you can integrate Mindfulness practices into your day.

Exercise 3 – An activity. As I said above it is about being present to this moment – bringing all your awareness to what you are doing. Here is an example of how to mindfully fill the kettle to make a hot drink. Using your mind – thinking about what you are doing, “I am picking the kettle up taking it to the tap”. “I am turning the cold tap on.” The kettle feels light; the tap feels cold to touch; my grip on the handle is getting tighter as it fills up. I am turning around to walk to the tap; I have to lift my feet one at a time to walk to the tap; I have to turn my hand and wrist on the tap to turn it on/off. What emotions am I experiencing as I am doing this, (happy, sad, tired, frustrated)?

We can also bring our senses into this. Watch yourself fill the kettle; feel the material of the kettle and tap against your hand; are there any smells around in the kitchen? We are bringing all of our attention to what we are doing.

Often we do things without being aware of what we are doing but when you break it down you realise just how much is involved is just filling the kettle!

I have described here putting the kettle on you can also use the same principle to eating something – a chocolate, piece of fruit.

Exercise 4 – Mindful Walk.  As we walk you become aware of the movements in your legs and arms. How do your arms swing as you walk? How do you put your foot down on the ground? You are bringing your mind to what you are doing. What sensations can I feel on my skin? Cold air, wind blowing/pushing me? How am I feeling as I am walking along? When you really get into this mind set you will notice that you are walking slower. It is as if your body is slowing down.

These exercises bring us to the present. The more we practise them the more we become comfortable in the now and the future becomes less daunting. We know we can cope with it because we now have the tools – just live the present moment. You can do absolutely nothing about the future but you can influence this moment and it is this moment that is the most important.

I am not saying that Mindfulness will work for everyone. It is a matter of finding what works for you. I have had a client who used to have panic attacks every-day. She started using Mindfulness at mealtimes and after the first week had 1 day with no panic attacks. This was unheard of for her. The following week when we spoke she had had 2 days with no panic attacks, by the third week she had had 3 days and the panic attacks that she did have were not as severe as they had been in the past.

The Worry Tree has also helped countless people I have given it to.

Wishing you a very Mindful and worry free future! If you want to get in touch please do.