5 Mindfulness exercises to improve your emotional well-being.
Several mindfulness techniques that will balance your emotions.
In this busy world we live in, where we are constantly connected to new technologies, the mind jumps from one place to another continuously, scattering our thoughts and emotions, which can make us feel stressed, nervous, and even anxious.
The way we live in Western societies puts us on autopilot. autopilotwhich means that days go by without us even realizing it.days go by without us even noticing what is going on inside or around us.. We go along, walking through life, without stopping for a single moment to observe ourselves internally, without stopping to think about our needs. Always ruminating, clinging to expectations rather than reality.
Living on autopilot, a bad option
Living on autopilot, living by inertia and getting caught up in routine can be very comfortable in the short term. It's easier to let the days go by and not face the fear of talking to your partner about how you feel. Or it's less complicated to let yourself get caught up in the day-to-day than to admit you're sad, isn't it? The planets will align to solve your problems....
But living far from the present, that is, with the armor on and not feeling anything, can be negative in the long run, because when something happens that shakes us (for example, we get fired from work or our partner leaves us), then it's time to step on the ground. Also, living in expectations can make us tremendously unhappy..
Mindfulness: more than techniques, a philosophy of life
Mindfulness practice, more than a set of techniques to be in the present moment, it is a philosophy of life, an attitude to adopt to reconnect with oneself.. It is a style of coping that boosts personal strengths, helps to self-regulate behavior and get to know oneself better, and creates an environment conducive to well-being.
In other words, Mindfulness is a conscious and intentional way of tuning in to what is going on inside and around us, and allows us to unmask automatisms and promote integral development.
A few minutes a day is not so much...
For some people, those who live eternally stressed, finding 5 minutes a day to connect with oneself can be difficult. But investing 10, 15 or 20 minutes a day for one's own well-being is not so much.
As already mentioned, the important thing in the practice of this discipline, regardless of the techniques used, is to adopt the Mindfulness attitude, which is the key to the well-being of the individual.Breaks the attention in the present moment, without judgment, and with compassion towards oneself and others..
5 Mindfulness exercises for greater well-being
Before moving on to the list of exercises, it is important to emphasize that practicing Mindfulness, being an attitude towards life, is not limited simply to the performance of these exercises, but is a way of dealing with the events that occur in daily life. is a way of coping with the events that occur in daily life.. Even so, adopting a healthy habit like this is beneficial for many reasons.
- If you want to know what are the benefits of this practice, you can read the following article: "Mindfulness: 8 benefits of mindfulness".
That said, here is a list of practical Mindfulness exercises a list of practical Mindfulness exercises:
Mindfulness in just one minute
This exercise is ideal if you are starting in the practice of Mindfulness, because as you progress in learning mindfulness, it is ideal to increase the practice time to 15 or 20 minutes a day. In addition, because it is only one minute, this exercise can be practiced anywhere and at any time of your daily life..
2. Landing Breathing here and now
This exercise is ideal for turning off the autopilot. By practicing it, the attention is focused on the present moment and stops the constant flow of thoughts, memories, images or ideas. It is ideal to unload accumulated tension in a very simple way.
To perform it, it is necessary to focus attention on the breath. It is necessary to perform a soft, deep and constant inspiration through the nose.. When we fill ourselves with air, immediately release the air through the mouth with intensity but without forcing the throat. When we notice a distraction (which is normal), we observe what it is that captured our attention and we return again to the breathing.
3. Mindfulness breakfast
It is common to wake up in the morning on autopilot. You get out of bed, take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush your teeth, and another day at work. Yes, another day!
You can break this negative habit by doing Mindfulness in the morning. This way you will face the day in a different way. To do this, you need to sit in a quiet place, and turn off the TV so that you can be in silence.. You should also keep your cell phone away. It is about not having distractions. When you are about to have breakfast, try to focus your attention on the flavors, the smells, the touch of the food or the drink... feel them! In this way, you will be with your attention in the present moment, and you will see the difference.
4. Attention to the sounds of the moment
This exercise consists of consciously observing the sounds that occur in our environment.. Therefore, it is to remain listening, to hear them as they sound without trying to identify them, to judge them as pleasant or unpleasant, or to think about them. Without any effort, we observe the sounds and leave aside other external perceptions. When we notice a distraction, we observe what it is that captured our attention and we return again to listening to the sounds, relying exclusively on the breath of that instant.
Obviously, when listening to sounds that enter through our ears, thoughts and feelings related to what we are hearing arise, so this exercise is about knowing silence and sound not conceptually (without thinking) but experientially (feeling them).
5. Body scanner
With this exercise we try to to get in touch with the experience of our body as it is, without judging, without rejecting the unpleasant sensations or attaching ourselves to the pleasant ones.. This exercise is also called body scan.
To perform it, it is necessary to sit in a comfortable posture, with the back upright, although it is also possible to adopt the lying posture. Then, close your eyes, pay attention to your breathing and perform the body scan. It is advisable that this type of meditation be guided.
Mindfulness Training Program: M-PBI
If you are interested in knowing what Mindfulness is and want to experience first-hand the practice of Mindfulness, there are several specialized centers that offer you the possibility of taking the Mindfulness Training Program: M-PBI.
Mindfulness allows you to be in the present moment and helps you to be more aware of your immediate experience with a non-judgmental attitude of openness and acceptance.
Its benefits for our daily life are many: it helps regulate emotions, reduces stress and anxiety, improves psychological well-being, increases the ability to concentrate, helps you sleep better, promotes creativity ... Thanks to this experiential course, 9 weeks long, you can see firsthand the purpose of this ancient practice, and you can delve into this method to learn to manage emotions, reactions and thoughts, something necessary to deal with the different situations that presents you day to day.
You will also be able to discover that through the development of mindfulness it is possible to know yourself better and develop certain positive attitudes in relation to your emotions and feelings, getting to control them from freedom and compassion.
(Updated at Apr 15 / 2024)