What is 'Mindfulness' and How Can It Help Me?
Written by Marci Renée
Photo by Dominik Schröder on Unsplash
Our family was going through one of the most stressful seasons of our lives. I was overwhelmed with all that needed to be done—in the middle of a traumatic situation. I wasn’t able to cope with it all.
Some days, I just sat in the middle of my living room with my head held in my hands.
“I can’t do this,” I would say to myself.
It felt like there was a giant mountain of stress in front of me to climb, and I didn’t know the first steps to take.
I was anxious, stressed, unfocused, and I couldn’t sleep. My mind just wouldn’t shut off. My thoughts wouldn’t stop!
In a text from a See Beyond provider, I read, “Have you tried mindfulness exercises?”
My first reaction was to balk at the suggestion. “Are you kidding?” I thought to myself. “I’m not into all that new age stuff.”
When I thought of mindfulness, the first thing that came to my mind was “new age,” “nirvana,” “hypnosis,” and sitting cross-legged on the floor with my palms facing upwards, my fingertips slightly touching each other, saying “mmmmmmmmmm.”
I responded in the text, “I’ve never really tried it.”
Desperate to Try Something New
At that point in my journey, I was desperate and willing to try anything—anything that could help. I felt like I was drowning in anxiety and stress, and I couldn’t seem to keep my head above water.
“Go to calm.com and try a few of their free, guided mindfulness exercises to see if it helps,” my friend from See Beyond suggested.
I trusted her and knew that she wasn’t into the “new age” and “nirvana” thing either.
Desperate, I gave it a try.
I went to the suggested app and chose a 10-minute mindfulness exercise for anxiety. I pushed “play” and closed my eyes. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and it felt a bit awkward.
“What am I doing?” I asked myself.
The instructor led me through deep breathing exercises and encouraged me to concentrate on my actual breaths.
Wow! I was breathing again. I think I’d been holding my breath for the past few weeks under the mountain of stress and anxiety.
With every exhale, the instructor encouraged me to release the distractions in my mind—those thoughts that plagued me and kept coming to mind during the exercise. They were heavy, burdensome things that were weighing me down.
As soon as I started to breathe, release, and focus on just being in the moment—not worrying about all those stressful things that I couldn’t control—something happened.
I began to relax.
My mind and my body didn’t know what happened!
When was the last time I had really relaxed my body for 10 minutes? Sleeping wasn’t even relaxing for me these days. When was the last time I had ceased to have thousands of chaotic thoughts racing through my mind? I couldn’t remember.
My mind and my body liked to relax, and things began to change as I began practicing mindfulness everyday. The stressful circumstances in my family’s life were still there, but I found myself coping better. I found myself focusing and seeing my life more clearly, knowing which steps to take next.
What exactly was happening, and why was mindfulness making a difference?
Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash
What Exactly is Mindfulness?
According to the University of Washington’s Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, “Mindfulness is a state of intentional, nonjudgmental focus on the present moment.” It involves awareness, focus, acceptance, and observation.
It’s about stilling the mind, not emptying it. Mindfulness is about learning how to focus and to not be distracted by other thoughts.
Specifically, it’s taking time to intentionally focus on something and let go of other thoughts. When your mind wanders, you gently bring it back to your desired focus.
For example, I do this when I:
Take 3 minutes to pay attention to the swaying of the palm trees outside my window before I start a writing project.
Sit on the beach and listen to the waves.
Do a body scan before going to bed, noticing the various sensations in my body, starting at my head and finishing with my toes.
Pay attention to the people around me and my surroundings when I walk down a city street, bringing my mind back whenever it wanders to my to-do list.
Take 5 minutes to run my hands through sand, rice, or beans—paying attention to how it feels.
Sit still and pay attention to what my breathing feels like.
“The stressful circumstances in my life were still there, but I found myself coping better.”
What are the Benefits of Mindfulness?
According to the University of Washington’s Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, there are many benefits to practicing mindfulness.
Improves mood—It helps reduce anxiety and depression. Some studies showed that it is as effective as an antidepressant medication in fighting a relapse of depression.
Reduces stress and its consequences—Mindfulness lowers our stress responses. It also decreases our blood pressure and boosts our immune system.
Helps with pain management—Those who suffer from chronic pain and who practice mindfulness regularly report less severe pain and distress.
Improves brain function—Mindfulness helps with focus and attention. It also sharpens memory and mental performance.
Helps with weight management—Some mindfulness exercises have shown to reduce overeating and obesity.
I could certainly use all of these benefits, not just during stressful seasons of my life, but everyday!
Practicing mindfulness regularly can help me deal with some of my daily frustrations—crazy driving in North Africa, learning Arabic, navigating culture shock, and other stresses of the day-to-day.
It can especially help me cope right now with the recent stresses of living in quarantine with my entire family! The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to continue for the next few weeks. Perhaps beginning this practice of mindfulness can help improve my mood, boost my immune system, and reduce my stress level!
Change of Seasons
Thankfully, that stressful season in my family’s journey has come to an end. Practicing mindfulness at that critical time helped me to survive.
It also enabled me to sleep better, especially as I practiced settling my mind and body just before going to bed. Having decent sleep changed everything for me, as I had the physical and mental strength to cope with the challenges of each day.
When practicing mindfulness, I had a more positive outlook, could see my problems in a more realistic way, and realized that I could take the next baby step to begin climbing the mountain in front of me. I could actually reach those delightful downhill parts of a, generally, uphill hike.
A Good Reminder
Today, like the rest of the world, I am facing a very stressful season—homeschooling, online work, etc., as I am stuck inside the four walls of my house with my entire family. These days, I often lack focus and concentration in my work hours. Dealing with the daily stresses of life and family can sometimes be more than I can handle peacefully.
Writing this article is a good reminder to myself to keep up the practice of mindfulness in my everyday life—especially right now. This is another great habit to keep in my new “self-care plan.”
It seems that people are starting to see more and more the benefits of practicing mindfulness in our crazy and busy world.
What about you? Have you ever tried practicing mindfulness? What are your personal perspectives about these practices? Are you in a season of stress right now when calming your body and mind could benefit you and those around you? Why not give it a try and see if it makes a difference?
Guest author, Marci Renée, along with her French husband and four boys, is a global nomad who has traveled to more than 30 countries and has lived in the United States, France, Morocco, and Spain. She loves to travel, speak foreign languages, experience different cultures, eat ethnic foods, meet people from faraway lands, and of course, write and tell stories. She is a published author of children's picture books, memoirs, short stories, and poetry.
You can find Marci and her books on her website.
"The Cultural Story-Weaver," at www.culturalstoryweaver.com