Mindfulness is a way to wellbeing

I have gotten some help from a relative that has found mindfulness to be very helpful when trying to find wellbeing. Here are some tips she wants to share!

Being mindful means to be here and now, to appreciate what you have in each moment.

How many people aren't worrying about what happened yesterday or dreading what tomorrow will bring but forgetting to appreciate what is now?

We can't do anything about the past, only accept it, and the future we know nothing about. But today, right now we have the possibility to start creating the life we want to live! The most amazing thing is that we can always restart, the now is always with us!

Mindfulness is focusing a lot on breathing and I want to share my two favorite exercises that are easy to start with. It's important to give it time. If you do these exercises many times every day for two months I dare to promise that something will have happened to you!

1; Take a deep breath, hold it a couple of seconds and breathe out. When taking the next breath, pretend that you are breathing out old worries, angst or other unpleasant things that you want to get rid of. When breathing in there is strength, happiness and wellbeing in the air in your lungs. Take as many breaths you can until you feel lighter mentally and you get a feeling of calmness. Maybe you won't feel anything the first time you do this, but keep doing this exercise, when you are cooking, standing in line at the grocery store, stuck in the traffic, need a break from work, before going to bed…

2; This exercise aims to make you let go of things you can't change or affect anyway. When you feel the thoughts that you can't do anything with starting to form you can practice thinking them away and think your way to the now instead. What do I do now, ("well, I'm doing a jigsaw puzzle with my child, she/he has grown so big… and smart… "), what does it look like here, what does it smell like, what are the sounds? If it is hard to find the now you can instead try to think of a place where you find peace. It can be your favorite place, perhaps the sea, the forest or a fantasy place.

Both of these exercises are easy and will reduce your feeling of stress, you will get stronger and stronger, get in control of your thoughts and feelings and you will be able to make decisions in a completely different way by focusing on yourself, something we relatives so easily forget!

There are many good CD's with mental training exercises, mindfulness and relaxing. Buy something that feels good and listen to it every night before you fall asleep. You will fall asleep easier, sleep better and wake up more rested, and also this will reduce your stress.

Good luck! And please get in touch later with thoughts, reflections and your own experiences!