What are mindfulness activities?

What is mindfulness?

Today it seems like everyone is always on the go and concentrating and the next task at hand.  More thought is given to the past and the future than the actual present.  Mindfulness is about being present in the moment and not thinking ahead or behind, just focusing on the here and now.  Focusing on your body, your breath, and the moment.  It can be very cathartic and can help with various mental health disorders as well as daily stressors.  Mindfulness is something that all humans already possess but need to turn their attention to and learn how to access it. 

Benefits of mindfulness

There are numerous benefits to mindfulness for all of us. Mindfulness can help with physical health concerns.  It can help lower blood pressure, help treat heart disease, manage stress, improve sleep, help with stomach issues, and can be known to reduce chronic pain.  It also can help with mental health as well.  It can play a vital role in treating depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and many more.  The reason for these benefits across the board is that it helps shut off the daily stressors and thoughts of our lives, whether it be past traumas or future worries, and helps us stay grounded at the moment, which reduces the harmful chemicals in our brains that cause many of the health issues. Mindfulness is for everyone, children, teens, young adults, adults, and the geriatric population.

What are mindful activities?

Mindful activities can be anything that has you focused on your 5 senses and keeps you focused on the moment. One of my favorite mindful activities is the 5 senses activity.  This one is easy, and you do not need anything to do other than your surroundings.  You can change up the number for each of your senses, but I like it in this order, sit with your feet on the ground and look around wherever you are.  Notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.  A body scan is also a great activity that can be used anywhere but is nice to use lying down.  This is where you start by breathing in and focusing on your breath and then take your awareness to your body and notice the sensation in different body parts such as your feet, toes, fingers, stomach, leg, head, etc. In doing this, you want to focus on any areas of tension and then use your breathing for breathing through the tension. You can use visualization of the tension leaving your body.  There are many more activities that can be done, so go and try these or search for other activities to incorporate into your daily life!