Take a load off your mind
We have a lot to think about each day. Research indicates that we have around 20,000 thoughts daily, and not all of these are helpful, happy, or positive. Is your mind filled with anxiety, anger or frustration? Do negative thoughts about the past or fears for the future continually swirl around your mind? One way to bring calm to your cluttered thoughts is to practise mindfulness. Mindfulness is currently a bit of a buzzword, but what is it, and how do you practise it? Salvos Online journalist FAYE MICHELSON spoke to Major Jo-anne Brown about mindfulness and its benefits for mental health.
What is mindfulness?
Jo-anne Brown: When we are being mindful, our focus is on simply being present to what’s happening in this moment, without any judgment or interpretation. That means letting go of all distractions and thoughts that crowd our mind. Mindfulness is slowing our thinking down, kind of like giving our minds a rest and allowing all our senses to notice and embrace the present moment.
What are the core features of mindfulness?
JB: These include slowing down, not dwelling on the past, or worrying about and planning for the future. Mindfulness is noticing what’s around you, finding beauty in all things, finding God in all things. It’s about letting go, accepting ourselves and our circumstances in the moment and not judging, fixing or trying to change things or ourselves.
How does mindfulness help improve mental health?
JB: There’s a lot of research on how mindfulness reduces stress, helps anxiety, increases focus and improves memory. Choosing to be present to what is happening now stops the mind focusing on past mistakes and hurts or ruminating about what might happen in the future. Being mindful keeps us in this moment – it slows down our restless thinking and gives us a pause. Mindfulness also soothes our nervous system, reduces cortisol and increases endorphins (the feel-good hormones) so we can be calm, creative and connected more deeply to ourselves and others.
Can you practise mindfulness anywhere?
JB: Yes! When we feel uptight or stressed, even taking just a few minutes to be mindful can make a difference. Slow down and pause. It’s good to take mini breaks through the day to simply be in the moment. It can be helpful to connect being mindful to something you already do regularly, for example, when you put the kettle on to make a cuppa, go for your daily walk, eat a meal or pat a pet. I often take a few moments between tasks to simply be in the moment, stroll in the garden and feel the sunshine on my face.
What are some ways to practise mindfulness?
JB: I find a comfortable spot to sit, lie down, stand, or even do this while walking. I like to close my eyes (unless I’m walking!) so I’m not being distracted by everything around me. Breathing is an important part of this practice for me. When we focus on our breath, the mind can’t keep spinning in a multitude of directions. I begin by taking slow, deep breaths and focusing on a long exhale, allowing my full diaphragm to breathe in and out. It is most helpful if the exhale is longer than the inhale. Sometimes I will focus on what I see (nature, my cat, the smoke from a candle or incense), or the sensations I feel on my skin (sunshine, shade, breeze). You can also focus on what you can smell, hear or taste – try allowing a small piece of chocolate to slowly melt in your mouth and focus on how that feels. Focus on tactile sensations – how does the material under my hands feel, or the carpet/ground/grass beneath my feet? Body relaxation techniques, journalling, guided meditation, mindful walking, mindful eating are all ways to practise mindfulness.
Does this ability to be fully present in the moment take practice?
JB: It’s not something most of us are taught how to do, because we ‘need’ to be achieving and ‘doing’ something useful. As a society, I believe we are largely unaware that “doing nothing” is not nothing. When we slow down our thinking and reacting, we are allowing a lot more to happen beneath the surface, such as healing and soothing. Try starting with focusing on your breathing for two minutes in silence. As you become comfortable with what feels like ‘doing nothing’, increase the time. It’s also important to recognise that our brains were made to think, so it’s okay to be distracted, but don’t hold onto the thoughts that come. Let them drift and return your attention to the sensations you are experiencing in the moment.
How does mindfulness fit into our spiritual life?
JB: For me, it’s my regular practice of silent prayer and reflection that make it possible for me to live a life of mindfulness, to find moments to be still, to notice where and how God is present and at work, to acknowledge his presence and to respond prayerfully and gratefully. Being mindful is also very connected to the times God says, “Don’t be anxious, don’t be afraid” – it’s mindfulness (and prayer) that takes us to that place of being without fear, the place of peace.
