Welcome to Mindful May.
This month we aim to dive into the subject of Mindfulness, what it is, how it’s a beneficial practice, and how it relates to our lives.
Our first topic is: what is Mindfulness?
Well, Mindfulness is the opposite of avoidance.
What traps people in anxiety/depression, drives us to overindulge, perpetuates chronic pain, or gets us stuck in jobs or relationships?
A major contributing factor is avoidance.
Avoidance is evolutionarily hard-wired into our brains. It is similar to the fight or flight concept. Our brains are developed at their core for survival, and avoiding pain is a very natural and important part of survival. Unfortunately, this survival mechanism also sets us up for a lot of misery and prolonged pain/stress.
But don’t worry – there’s hope. Mindfulness is a simple practice that effectively counteracts avoidance. Mindfulness helps us lean into difficult experiences. It helps us be present, pause and assess our thoughts and feelings. Once we’ve done that, we can respond to them, rather than react.
Now how can we practice mindfulness? Well here’s a few ways:
Meditate – Taking even 5-10 Minutes out of your day to sit quietly with your eyes closed and focus on your breathing and let your thoughts flow can do wonders in making you feel more connected and conscious for the rest of your day.
Eat Mindfully – Eating your food slowly without the distraction of the TV on or newspaper in front of you helps us, as food addicts, be mindful of our abstinence and appreciate the food for what it is.
Spend Time In Nature – Whether it is a walk through the park, the forest, the beach or wherever you please, spending time in nature keeps us grounded and connected to our natural environment. We also reaffirm our commitment to treat our beautiful earth with kindness and grace.
Check in with our loved ones – We all have our struggles and go through ups and downs. Letting your loved ones know that you’re thinking about them and how much they mean to you will strengthen bonds and provide joy for everyone involved.
We hope you implement some of these tips in your life this May, and we look forward to slowing down and being more mindful ourselves.