Mindfulness. FOR YOU.

Mindfulness is about accepting yourself, your body and your emotions. It's about recognizing your inner self. Remember, nothing you do, feel or think about in mindfulness is in any way wrong. Instead, it's about knowing that there is no right or wrong. This is a short exercise you might try at home, and a couple of things you can have in mind while doing it. If you want to do it, that is. Only you can decide.

1. Start with five minutes. 
Or more. Or less. It's all up to you. Maybe you can do it for 10 minutes the next day. Or 30. Or 60. Remember, you decide. We all work differently. 

   
2. Try and go to a space where it's quiet and you're all alone.
Lay down on your back and close your eyes. Some people like to lay flat on the ground. Some people want a pillow. Some people want it some other way. You decide.  

When you lay down, be proud that you took the time and that you came this far. 


3.  Try and feel every sense of your BODY. 
No feelings are wrong!

Maybe you can start with your toes. Or your head.
How do your toes feel like?
Tense? Relaxed? Warm? Cold?  
Okay. That's fine. 
Move your mind to your legs.
How do they feel? 
Your midriff? Stomach? Chest? Arms? Hands? Neck? Head? Ears?

How does the parts of your body feel against the surface of the floor?
How does the floor feel?

If you can, don't try and analyze the feelings. Accept that they are there.
"My nose is freezing. It's there and I feel it. It's okay".  

Do you feel any pain in your body?
If you do, recognize, accept it and move on to another part of your body.
"My back hurts. It feels tense. It's there and I feel it. It's okay".   

Be proud over yourself for all the feelings you recognize!


4. Try and feel every sense of your EMOTIONS.
Do you feel sad? Anxious? Angry? Hurt? Distressed? Happy? Calm?
No feelings are wrong!

Accept that they are there, move your mind to another part of your body, soul or surroundings.
"I feel very sad and hopeless. Nothing is worth doing. But it's okay. The feeling is inside me and I except it for being one of my feelings".

Be proud over yourself for all the feelings you recognize!


4. Take a short time to think about your SURROUNDING.
What do you hear? 
"Children scream in the yard. The neighbor's vacuuming. My son is playing music. It's okay. The sound is there and i recognize it and accept it for being a sound in my surrounding".   

What can you smell? 
Is it light or dark? 
Is the floor cold? 
Is the air hot? 
Something else?

Feel it, try and not think about it too much. Recognize, accept, and move to another part of your mind, soul, body.  

Once again, be proud over yourself for all the feelings you recognize! 


5.  Take a short time to think about your BREATHING. 
Remember: No type of breathing is wrong or right!

You only need to notice what it feels like. 
How does the air feel going into your nostrils? 
Cold? Warm? Stinking? 
How does it feel going into your lungs and your stomach? 
When it comes out again?

This is something you can do for a while, just breathing and recognizing it. 

You can take a long, deep breath if you want to. How does it feel? 



NOTE for all the exercises: 
If you have a hard time letting the feelings go, accept this as well.




This is all you need to do. Never judge yourself for any of your feelings, thoughts or emotions, because they're a part of you and you should be proud that you recognize them. 

NOTE: Maybe you'll experience a strong and aching feeling in the beginning. A feeling of sadness, anger, anxiety or emptiness. Or all of these. Or maybe you feel free and happy and calm. Everyone responds differently. However you feel, have in mind that these strong emotions usually disappear after a while, either after a couple of minutes, or a couple of exercises, or a couple of weeks. Or month. And if they don't, you're not doing it wrong, instead, you may carry so much sadness that it may be hard to handle by your own. Maybe you need to find someone to talk to, maybe you need more help. Seeking help doesn't make you weak, it makes you strong. Or, mindfulness is just not the right way to go for you. 


Even if you give up at once, be proud that you took the time to try! :) 

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!