Hi everyone, I’m Lauren from Wool of the King and I’m so excited to be posting on Rachael’s blog. This post is all about activities that increase mindfulness.
What is mindfulness?
“Professor Mark Williams, former director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, says that mindfulness means knowing directly what is going on inside and outside ourselves, moment by moment” (NHS via – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mindfulness/).
A lot of the time, we are too busy rushing. It could be because we are focusing on things like work or studying. In order to be mindful, we need to stop sometimes and notice the world around us, and our feelings and emotions. Being more mindful can help with our mental health in many ways.
Activities that can help with mindfulness
*I am by no means a mental health expert, these are just some activities that help me and tht I think could be beneficial for you.
- Deep breathing and meditation exercises
There are lots of these you can find online and some experts have YouTube videos for this. Focusing on your breathing and your mind, even for a short time each day can help you to relax and it can take your mind off of potential stressors.
- Workout or exercise of your choice
Experts have said that exercising your body has positive effects on the mind. Exercising or working out can encourage you to focus on your bodily needs rather than the stresses of daily life.
- Taking in nature
A lot of the time when I’m stressed out and notice I have been rushing around and not been stopping to take everything in, I like to get out. The beauty in nature, the beach for me in particular, will often make me more mindful of the world around me and be calming for me.
- Choose parts of your daily routine to be mindful of
We all have something we do every day. Whether it be having a morning cup of coffee or having a shower, it can be fun to choose one of these things to be mindful of. For example, when having your shower, instead of just not thinking about it and trying to get it over with, take the time to think about how it makes you feel for your body to be cleansed.
- Scan your body before you go to sleep
I watched a TikTok recently, saying that a really good way to try and get to sleep is to scan your body from your feet all the way up to your head. I tried this, and it made me feel much more relaxed and aware of my body.
Do you have any mindfulness activities you do regularly?
Where to find Lauren:
Blog – wooloftheking.com
Instagram – @_laurenken
Twitter – @_laurenken
This was a really helpful post. I am trying to be more mindful especially coming into the new year. Thank you for sharing these suggestions.
I like appreciating nature when I’m stressed these days. And by nature, I mean our garden. 🙂 It’s relaxing to do just looking at the plants specially in the morning.
Liz
http://www.piecesofliz.com
Love practicing mindfulness. Sometimes the world is so overwhelming so I like to stop and take a breathe and realign myself. This is a great guest post from Lauren! Thanks for sharing x
http://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com
I love this post Rachael! It’s so important to choose the best part of your daily routine to be mindful, and these are some great tips for the next few months x
I love this post, it is good to make sure that you daily routine works for you and your goals. Mindfulness is a great idea. These days especially
Thanks for sharing
https://uncuaderno4cero.wordpress.com
I’m trying to focus on being more mindful lately, especially as Spring is coming which always inspires me to turn more towards yoga / meditation. I really like the idea of being out in nature more as that’s something that I’ve missed this year (thanks lockdown! :P) x
Sophie | https://www.loveandliterature.co.uk