Mindfulness Guide

What is Mindfulness?

As suggested in its name, mindfulness at its core, is all about self-awareness!

Mindfulness is a technique used to help us learn how to be present in the moment, and not get pulled away by your thoughts or life circumstances. This enables you to live in the moment and be aware of how you’re feeling, your thoughts processes and more insight into your mental health.

Why is being in the present important?

Being in the present, encourages you to not just be aware of your thoughts and your feelings. It also allows you to appreciate yourself and what you have, as well as enabling you to understand what various factors you need to work on and plan accordingly.

Always remember, focusing too much on the past, fuels depression, and focusing too much on the future, fuels anxiety. Therefore, the best place you can be in, is the present, only there can you heal the wounds of the past, and plan for a better future, whilst being present and enjoying every moment in life!

There are various benefits of Mindfulness, these include: –

Plan for future
Awareness of how you are feeling emotionally
Awareness of how you are feeling physically
Feel Calmer
Awareness of your thoughts
Boosts attention/concentration
Building Resilience
Improve your relationships, as you’re not as full and have more capacity to be reciprocal
Managing negative thoughts and emotions

Who is mindfulness for?

Anyone can practice mindfulness, however it is advised with people who have PTSD, to proceed with caution, as being present with traumatic emotions, could aggravate your symptoms. We advise you to speak to your GP for further guidance on how you can practice mindfulness safely.

For more information and further self-guided resources, check out this article from the mental health foundation: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/mindfulness

(Note – please use this guide to incorporate mindfulness into your goal planning objectives)

Mindfulness Guide
1.	Hobbies / Activities	Try and find at least 1 day in the week where you can engage in your activity It is important to try and have consistency and have a dedicated day & time to engaging in your hobby/activity Sundays is usually the recommended day, as it enables you to recharge and be ready for the coming week (if you do shift work, when you get your schedule, factor in time in advance) Try and slot out 3-4 hours of activity time Always remember, when engaging in a hobby, you release lots of healthy hormones.
2.	Gut Health	Food can have a significant impact on how you are feeling and your energy levels Some foods can make you feel heavy, sluggish, bloated, lethargic, cause inflammation and vice versa Try introducing more superfoods in your diet Factor time aside to eat, and dedicate that time to eating and enjoying your food Don’t forget the vitamins Try and understand what your body needs and feed it that, e.g. if your someone who struggles with headaches, almonds help, etc… Always remember, you are what you eat, therefore what you put in your body, is possibly one of the most important things, often prioritised over exercise, due to its contribution to the regulation of the body; its 70% diet and 30% exercise (an apple a day, keeps the doctor away).
3.	Exercise Regime	Having a regular exercise regime can support with relaxing the mind, and evacuating some of the stress/tension your body is carrying Going for daily walks, even in the winter can be very helpful, not just for heart health, but to get some fresh air and natural vitamin D Exercise also boosts healthy hormone production in the bloodstream, enabling you to feel more positive Always remember, it’s healthy to push yourself, but don’t overdo it, remember to speak to your GP or healthcare provider, if you are someone who struggles with a chronic illness, that either impacts their mobility or would worsen with strenuous exercise.
4.	Guided Meditation	Meditation is important for quieting your mind and clearing your head, this allows for you to rest and recuperate the mind If you can do ‘normal’ meditation that’s perfect, however we advise guided for any people who are new, as this will enable you to shift your focus Always remember, meditation doesn’t need to be thirty minutes to an hour, it can just be 5 minutes at the start or end of your day. For a beginner, guided meditation guide, check out this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/xv-ejEOogaA?feature=shared
5.	Positive Outlook	Although life can throw many curve balls at you, it’s important to try and see the silver lining at the end of your week Set some time aside to write down all the things that made you feel positive about this week, even something small Thinking positively also allows you to explore a situation from a different perspective Always remember, even when you’ve had a bad day, week, month or year, and it’s hard to find something positive, a lesson learnt is positive viewpoint.
6.	Breathing Exercises	There are physical health benefits such as improving blood pressure, digestion, ventilation and respiratory muscles There are mental health benefits, such as, reducing stress, anxiety and promotes relaxation of the mind and body Also improves posture and relieves back pain (please note, this is generic postural related back pain, if you are struggles with chronic pain, it may not offer any relief) Always remember, breathing exercises can be done at any point during the day, particularly if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed during the day, all you need is to dedicate 3-5 minutes. For beginners breathing guide, please check out this YouTube guide: breathing exercises – YouTube
7.	Physical Sensations	Its important to keep track at how you are feeling physically, as this will enable you to implement the relevant coping mechanisms For people with chronic physical health ailments, this enables you to start understanding your body and its needs e.g., be mindful of how you feel before & after you have eaten, this can be an indicator to the type of diet you need Taking some time to analyse your body, 5 minutes of laying down and analysing your body’s sensation from toes to head (fun tip – you can do with your meditation) Always remember, certain mental health conditions can manifest in the body, with anxiety for example, displaying characteristics, such as: sweating, heart palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, numbness or tingling sensation, muscles tension, upset stomach, headaches and insomnia.
8.	Emotional Sensations	It’s important to understand what emotions you are feeling, as this will support you to understand, which relevant coping mechanisms to implement Having emotional awareness, also enables you to process these emotions much sooner Contributes to the development of your emotional maturity Helps you understand your triggers and set boundaries for yourself Always remember, every emotion is healthy, happiness, sadness, anger, jealousy, excitement etc, and we need to embrace them, they are all a part of who we are, it does not make you a bad person or a good person, it makes you human, we have both in us, and the one that wins, is the one you feed!
9.	Thoughts / Thinking process	Thoughts unconsciously dictate our every waking decision;therefore, it is vital that you have awareness of your thoughts and particularly that inner critic (inner monologue) The inner monologue is that voice at the back of your head, that’s always saying something, even when you are trying to have a different thought process We have become accustomed to just shooing these thoughts away, however, it’s actually important you do the opposite and embrace these thoughts Embracing thoughts enable you to understand how you are feeling, and what drives you to behave in a certain way, as well as enabling you to challenge those thoughts Always remember, when you have an intrusive thought, you need to find evidence in your life of you having overcome that experience, and remind your brain, that you’ve done this before and you can do it again!
10.	Social Circle	The people you surround yourself with have a big influence on your wellbeing, they can either lift you up or tear you down Surround yourself with positive people, who make you feel positive about yourself, and you feel comfortable to be vulnerable and honest with Loved ones, have always been used as a therapy session, so remember that they are filling your head and your inner monologue with things that will influence your behaviour Sometimes letting go is healthier than holding on Always remember, birds of the same feathers flock together!
11.	Takeaway	Changing your routine can be difficult, and this is why it is important to gradually introduce changes. The first place to start, is to pick a day in the week that is a You day, and on that day, you do nothing, absolutely nothing! You might feel guilty at first and think, you’re wasting time, but you are not, think of it more as gathering strength or recharging, you can’t pour from an empty cup.We also always advise having a morning and evening routine, as this makes a big difference to helping you feel more grounded, as your mind knows what to expect. This is particularly good for people who struggle with anxiety, depression or any other mood disorder.(Note – please use this guide to incorporate mindfulness into your goal planning objectives)