When feeling heightened levels of stress and anxiety, it can be especially difficult to draw upon our inner resources to practice self-soothing. During difficult situations that tend to increase our levels of distress, it is especially important to have a self-care toolkit already prepared so that we can meet the present moment more skillfully. Consider how you generally practice self-care and maintain a sense of equilibrium. Pay attention to what is already working for you, while also noticing areas for growth.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers a wealth of skills to practice mindfulness, regulate emotions, increase interpersonal effectiveness, and tolerate distress more effectively. Self-soothing skills enable you to calm yourself during times of intense distress and bring yourself back to a more centered and grounded place. By integrating mindfulness and emotion regulation skills with your five senses, you can effectively calm yourself during difficult moments.

Vision

• Sit outside and look at nature with an attentive, mindful eye
• Take a walk in a nearby park or go for a leisurely hike
• Go outdoors at nighttime and look up at the stars in the sky

Hearing

• Listen to soothing or invigorating music, depending on your mood
• Play or learn to play an instrument
• Close your eyes and become mindful of the sounds around you

Smell

• Place essential oils on the inside of your wrists and breathe deeply
• Burn incense or light a scented candle
• Open the windows and breathe in the fresh air

Taste

• Eat one thing mindfully, really savoring the tastes and textures
• Treat yourself to a favorite dessert and slow down to enjoy it
• Taste something tart, like a lemon or orange, and pay attention

Touch

• Snuggle up under an especially soft, cozy blanket
• Drink a warm cup of tea or coffee and warm your hands on the mug
• Take a long hot bath or shower and savor the experience

How do you intend to use your five senses to practice self-soothing? Observe whether or not there are things you are already doing to practice self-care that you can continue to do. Consider how bringing an open, curious, and nonjudgmental attitude of mindfulness to stressful situations can increase your ability to effectively cope with distress. The more you practice self-soothing skills in the present, the better equipped you will be to engage in effective self-soothing in the future.

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Linehan, M.M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Featured image: Mädchen sitzt auf Schaukel by Marco Verch / CC BY 2.0

“No feeling is final.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

There is no such thing as an inherently “bad” emotion. The ability to experience a broad range of emotions is a natural, healthy part of being human. However, most of us know that plenty of emotions may feel incredibly uncomfortable, while many other emotions seem universally desirable. It’s also natural to be fearful of emotions at times. Consider that part of your ability to truly experience the richness of joy and love are inexplicably linked to your ability to experience the depths of despair and sadness.

In many ways, it is both the desirable and aversive natures of these powerful emotions that make them two sides of the same coin. Whenever we experience too much intensity at either end of an emotional spectrum, it can dull either the positive or negative qualities. Consider what it might be like to feel intense sadness for so long that it becomes “normal,” or to feel extreme joy for so long that you take it for granted. Either way, it would be understandable to no longer see the big picture in terms of the natural peaks and valleys of human emotions. Grounding exercises can help to bring us back to the balanced present moment with a greater sense of calm and ease.

The Mindfulness Skill of Grounding

Learning to use the skill of grounding to calm yourself is an incredibly useful way to regain a sense of emotional balance, or equilibrium. It means employing an attitude of mindfulness, as you intentionally shift your focus from the internal towards the external. By looking outside of ourselves during times of emotional intensity, we can begin to regain a sense of calm and centeredness. By becoming grounded in the present moment, we are also less likely to act impulsively on our emotions, and instead act mindfully from the integration of emotion with reason… wise mind.

Mental Grounding:

• Describe your external environment in detail (e.g., “The walls are blue. There is a brown wooden table with four chairs”)
• Mentally categorize items in your mind (e.g., colors, songs, books, movies)
• Describe an everyday activity or task in detail (e.g., “When I get ready for bed, first I turn on the water to take a bath”)

Physical Grounding:

• Splash cool water on your face to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)
• Press your feet solidly into the floor and notice the physical pressure
• Carry a small grounding object in your pocket that you can touch whenever you feel emotionally off-balance or triggered

Emotional Grounding:

• Practice self-compassion and self-forgiveness by repeating a soothing statement in your mind or out loud
• Speak kindly to yourself as if you were talking to a small child who was feeling distressed
• Picture people you care about and imagine them offering you love, compassion, and support

Consider what aspects of grounding may be particularly useful to you, given your own set of circumstances, experiences, and tendencies. You know yourself best. By beginning to pay attention to times when you feel off-balance, you can gradually learn to become more attuned to the times when practicing a grounding exercise would be especially helpful.

Najavits, L.M. (2019). Finding your best self: Recovery from addiction, trauma, or both. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Featured image: Balance by Richard Petrosino / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” – Khalil Gibran

If you’re like a great deal of people in the world right now, you may find yourself engaging in “social distancing” by staying at home and away from crowds. It’s natural to feel disconnected from our sources of support and community during times like this. I encourage you to reflect on the idea that so many other people are having very similar experiences as you right now… in this very moment. Truly, you are not alone.

There are many sources of online support, resources, and communities to help you maintain a vital sense of connection during this stressful global time. More than ever, it is times like this that compel us to practice compassion, kindness, and goodwill towards our fellow mankind. We are all in this together and need each other for support.

If you are someone who struggles with a mental health issue or addiction, it may be especially important for your recovery and well-being to maintain a lifeline to the resources and communities that can offer you the greatest support. Fortunately, there are online mental health resources available to access when you find yourself unable to engage with these communities face to face.

Mental Health eResources:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Help for Mental Illness
• International OCD Foundation
• Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA): Online Support Group
• Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
• Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
• Sidran Institute: Traumatic Stress Education & Advocacy

Recovery eResources:

• In the Rooms: A Global Recovery Community
• Never Alone Club: 24/7 Recovery Community
• AA Online Meetings
• Al-Anon Online Meetings
• NA Online Meetings
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Website
• My Sober Roommate

Online Support Groups:

• 7 Cups: Free Emotional Support
• Mental Health America: Support Group and Discussion Community
• The Tribe: Peer-to-Peer Support Group
• SupportGroups.com: Mental Health, Relationships, Eating Disorders, & More
• Turn2Me: Online Support Group
• Daily Strength: Online Anxiety Support Group
• Sad Girls Club: Instagram Mental Health Community

Featured image: HUG 4 revisited by Barbara Courouble / CC BY-NC 2.0

“We sail within a vast sphere, ever drifting in uncertainty, driven from end to end.” – Blaise Pascal

It is no secret that the world is grappling with an incredible amount of stress in the face of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. During times of intense stress it’s more important than ever to be mindful of our mental, physical, and emotional well-being by practicing healthy coping skills. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to have a wide variety of benefits, many of which are likely to be especially helpful during times of uncertainty, anxiety, or mental fatigue.

In some ways, this is akin to working out or training for an athletic event. I say this because adopting a regular mindfulness practice makes it that much easier to implement and draw strength during times when you need it the most. In this sense, regular meditation can effectively “train” you for periods of time when you don’t necessarily have the luxury of carving out blocks of time in your schedule to practice… because you need support now.

How are you taking care of yourself during this time of global uncertainty? It is completely understandable and reasonable to feel heightened levels of anxiety and stress, which may exacerbate any underlying mental or physical conditions with which you may be grappling. It’s never too late to put a self-care plan into place to safeguard against the adverse effects of unexpected stressors. Consider what has worked for you in the past. How can you implement some of those same strategies in the present?

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Resources:

• How Mindfulness Can Help You Navigate the Coronavirus Panic
• Take a Mindful Approach to COVID-19
• Mindfulness during the Coronavirus: Harvard Professor’s Tips to Help Lower Anxiety
• Mindfulness and Dealing with Coronavirus Chaos

Featured image: sunlight comes by M.G. Kafkas / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“The beginning of love is the will to let those we love be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist them to fit our own image. If in loving them we do not love what they are, but only their potential likeness to ourselves, then we do not love them: we only love the reflection of ourselves we find in them.” – Thomas Merton

Many of us can relate to the experience of being seemingly inexplicably drawn to another person in a way that feels almost magnetic. This spark of attraction is sometimes referred to as chemistry, lust, or love at first sight. However we define it, we usually have an intuitive sense of knowing when it’s there… and when it’s not. This intangible dance between two people enamored by early love can feel intoxicating, mesmerizing, or even ethereal.

Attraction, Intense Emotions & Staying Grounded

It’s all too easy to lose our footing, get lost in intense emotions, and forget to pay attention to the more practical components of healthy, sustained love in the throes of early romance. After all, the words “practical” and “romance” aren’t usually paired together in a graceful manner. When we relinquish the ability to define and assert our personal attitudes, beliefs, and values, the rockslide into the valley of codependence has begun.

Pausing to engage in self-reflection and remaining grounded in our own values are of particular importance during the early stages of lust, love, and longing. After all, there may be few things more truly romantic than genuine thoughtfulness and intentional actions towards the construction of a solid foundation for what may very well become a mature love than lasts a lifetime.

What is Interdependence in a Relationship?

So begins the process of building love based on a foundation of interdependence. We cannot reasonably expect to seek out our own happiness, fulfillment, or sense of purpose from another person. This doesn’t mean that the object of our love and affection cannot be a wellspring of positive qualities. They may even leave us feeling as if we are walking on air, experiencing renewed hope, and authentically understood and accepted… perhaps for the first time.

What it does mean is that we can walk on air without becoming untethered and feel hopefulness that isn’t dependent upon their very existence. We can enjoy the miraculous feeling of being understood in a new way without losing our sense of self along the way. Interdependence involves having a strong sense of self outside of the relationship, engaging in healthy coping skills, and recognizing the value of vulnerability without compromising personal values.

Interdependence is characterized by a balance between autonomy (the ability to function independently) and leaning on one another. It’s crucial to recognize that within the context of all interpersonal relationships, we affect one another. To presume that our actions, or lack thereof, within a relational context affect no one but ourselves is clueless at best and perhaps narcissistic at worst. When a relationship is based on interdependence, each person takes responsibility for their own feelings and behaviors.

Qualities of Interdependent Relationships

In addition to recognizing the impact we have on others and taking ownership of our own behaviors, interdependent relationships are characterized by:

• Supporting one another without sacrificing core needs or priorities
• Listening to feelings with openness and without defensiveness
• Encouraging each other’s interests, pursuits, and goals
• Respecting differences and actively seeking common ground
• Turning towards bids for connection, rather than away
• Self-esteem that is not dependent on ongoing reassurance, approval, or attention from your partner
• Willingness to express feelings, wants, and needs openly and honestly
• Respect for one another’s privacy, as there is a foundation of mutual trust, candor, and respect
• Absence of manipulation, control and unfounded jealousy
• Reciprocal sharing of interests, passions, and hopes
• Lack of demeaning and competitive behaviors, as it is understood you are on the same team

Recognizing Codependency

If you find yourself stuck within a codependent relationship, regardless of the role you play in the dynamic, it’s important to remember that it takes two people to maintain a relationship… even when it’s unhealthy. The crucial first step towards shifting the dynamics within your current relationship or your overall relationship pattern, is awareness. It is essential to make an honest appraisal of your current and past relationship dynamics, along with what you realistically hope for in the future.

No one is “perfect.” Not you, not other people, nor myself. This is entirely okay… in fact, awareness of our imperfections can be truly liberating. The wonderful outcome of recognizing the inherent lack of perfection within all humans is that you can start getting more honest with yourself and the people you care about. It takes courage to express authenticity and vulnerability, and it’s natural to feel some degree of trepidation.

Healthy & Secure Relationships

When you find someone who is secure with their own beautifully lovable and imperfect self, you may find yourself willing to take the healthy risks necessary to achieve relational interdependence. This means shifting your current relationship dynamic or building a foundation with a new partner that allows the freedom to express your authentic self… and space for them to do the same. In fact, you begin to feel authentically seen and heard in an entirely new way after taking a few thoughtful, healthy risks.

When a relationship is free of enmeshment, control, and codependency, there is room for each person to flourish. Consider what qualities you bring to your current relationship or one you hope to build in the future. Remember that no one else is responsible for your happiness or sense of self-worth… however, a committed, interdependent relationship allows for a balance of freedom and connectedness that leads to naturally enhanced joy, purpose, and meaning.

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Featured image: Clasped by Chris Richmond / CC BY NC-ND-2.0

What thoughts or images come to mind when you consider what a healthy lifestyle is all about? For many people, the concept of a healthy lifestyle conjures up ideas about physical well-being and how to best maintain it. I wholeheartedly agree that the physical fitness of our bodies is linked to both building and increasing optimal functioning over time. When the body is healthy and in a balanced state of relative homeostasis, it is not uncommon for the mental, emotional, and interpersonal realms of life to feel similarly balanced and at peace. However, the necessary building blocks of the optimal you encompass more dynamic and intangible aspects of wellness than you are likely to find in a gym.

You are much more than a physical body. No matter how many miles you run, weights you lift, or diets you follow, physical health and fitness alone are not generally sufficient to cultivate your optimal self. By this, I refer to the mental image housed in your mind of the best version of yourself… your ideal self. I hesitate to use the word potential, as that word is sometimes associated with abilities or achievements that can be measured by various sorts of external yardsticks. Rather than thinking about your ideal self in terms of reaching your potential – however one may define the term – consider the optimal version of yourself as an integrated, coherent manifestation of your personal traits, values, and aspirations into reality. This unique vision of your ideal self is for you – and you alone – to imagine, shape, and mold into reality. In that sense, you are filled with practically limitless potential.

Core Components of the “Optimal You”

The core building blocks involved in developing the ‘optimal you’ include a diverse set of skills, attitudes, and lifestyle choices. Try reading through the following essential components of personal development (adapted from Hodges, 2010). Pause to notice what aspects of personal development stand out to you as areas of strength, along with what areas may benefit from additional growth or attention. Remember that not all components of personal development will be of importance to each person, and that an important step towards constructing your ideal self is about getting in touch with your authentic values. For instance, perhaps spirituality / religion is of little personal importance to you… or maybe it is the most important value your ideal self holds. Both responses, and anywhere in between, are perfectly okay.

• Spirituality / Religion
• Personal Vision
• Self Worth
• Setting Goals
• Thinking Rationally
• Emotional Intelligence
• Resilience
• Humor
• Fitness / Recreation
• Healthy Diet
• Mindful Living
• Stress Management
• Sense of Self
• Family / Cultural Connection
• Career Development
• Hobbies
• Social Life
• Intimacy

When connecting with your true values, take time to pause, reflect, and become mindfully attuned to what is truly most important to you. If it matters to you a great deal, then it is likely something you highly value… if it feels rather unimportant to you personally, this may not be something you highly value. There is no judgment when it comes to your personal values clarification process. When your values and behaviors are out of alignment, you may experience an internal sense of discomfort, or cognitive dissonance. Fortunately, this inner sense of discomfort is an opportunity to listen to your intuition, tap into wise mind, and pay attention to how you can begin to shift your thoughts and behaviors to more accurately reflect your core values.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you are striving to build your ideal self as a result of societal pressures, expectations from others, or from your own inner wisdom. It’s natural to internalize ideas about who you are, who you are supposed to be, or who you are not supposed to be based on messages from your earliest relationships… the ones with primary caregivers, or attachment figures. You may have received inaccurate mirroring, emotional invalidation, or inconsistent attunement within the context of these early relationships, which can make it more difficult to get a solid grasp on your core sense of self as an adult. Although it may be difficult, it is attainable… and an incredibly worthwhile journey of self-discovery.

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Additional resources:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Handouts and Worksheets by Russ Harris
• Mind Tools: What Are Your Values? Deciding What’s Most Important in Life
• Carnegie Mellon University: Values Exercise

Hodges, S. (2010). Counseling practicum and internship manual: A resource for graduate counseling students. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Featured image: 9032013 by Amanda T Photos

Stress is inevitable… and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. When stress comes in the form of eustress, it can serve as a valuable motivating force that helps us spring into action, maintain necessary momentum, or stay alert and focused. On the other hand, when stress manifests itself in the form of distress, it can chip away at our mental, physical, and emotion reserves… causing us unnecessary suffering and inner turmoil. Fortunately, it is possible to effectively tolerate distress by cultivating a more mindful attitude and approaching distress in a proactive manner.

Benefits of Practicing Mindfulness

The idea of beginning to cultivate a regular mindfulness practice may seem a bit daunting at first. It’s natural to experience a sense of tension or pressure when you’re in the early stages of developing and engaging in a new healthy habit. For those of us who long for more hours in the day to accomplish both necessary and desirable tasks, the notion of taking time out of your day to engage in a brief mindfulness exercise might seem unrealistic. If you’re feeling a bit ambivalent about whether or not developing a mindfulness practice is for you, it might help boost your motivation to engage in mindfulness exercises to know just a few of the many benefits associated with mindfulness:

• You will be better able to live in the present moment, as opposed to dwelling on the past (which is unchangeable) or the future (which is subject to change).
• You may be able to strengthen your emotional intelligence, which means greater awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, as well as their impact on others.
• You are likely to develop a greater sense of overall well-being, including reduced stress levels and mood disturbances, as well as a greater sense of empathy and likelihood to engage in altruistic behaviors.

The truth is, we all have small pockets of free time throughout each day… the amount of time it takes to brush your teeth, take a restroom break, or eat a meal. In order to reap the benefits of increased levels of mindfulness, we need only commit to a regular practice. If you’re still not sure that spending a few minutes each day engaging in a brief mindfulness exercise is realistic, consider challenging yourself to practice one of the following mini mindfulness exercises each day, for the next two weeks.

3 Mini Mindfulness Exercises

(1) Five-Minute Mindfulness Meditation

Find a quiet place where you can sit, undisturbed for about five minutes. If it’s useful for you to set a timer on your phone, go ahead and do this as you settle into a comfortable, yet alert, seated posture. Without being overly focused on the time, simply allow yourself to use the next few minutes to turn your focus inward and settle into the present moment. Know that the timer will chime in a few minutes, and all you need to do for now is give yourself permission to tune in to the rhythm of your breath.

Focus your attention on your breath as it enters your nose or mouth, as your chest or belly rises, and as the air leaves your nose or mouth on the exhale. Pay attention to the temperature of the air as you inhale – perhaps it feels cool and crisp – and the temperature of the air as you exhale – perhaps it feels warm and soft. Use your breath as an anchor to keep your attention grounded in the present moment, allowing all mental chatter, physical sensations, and emotional experiences to come and go with each inhale and exhale. Notice how you feel after having taken just a few minutes to tune into the present moment through paying mindful attention to your breath in this manner.

(2) Self-Compassion

You can also choose to engage in a mini mindfulness exercise focused on tapping into, strengthening, and enhancing self-compassion. The benefits associated with increased self-compassion may include a greater sense of emotional peace or stability, a greater ability to forgive yourself and others, and even potential increases in some aspects of emotional intelligence. Consider keeping a handwritten or electronic journal purely dedicated to cultivating self-compassion. Each time you notice a self-critical, self-invalidating, or self-punishing/critical voice arise, use this awareness as an opportunity to actively observe, accept, and release that self-criticism. Pause to write down the critical thought in your journal. Now, take a moment to notice its content with a curious and nonjudgmental attitude, accept the presence of the thought in the moment, and then allow it to pass.

Remember that acceptance is not the same thing as approval, and that by choosing to accept the presence of something unpleasant you are moving toward releasing it from your experience. It needn’t create additional, unnecessary suffering. Consider a more compassionate, realistic, and kindhearted thought or sentiment to replace the critical one. Write it down. Now, go through the same brief process of observing this new, more compassionate thought or expression, accepting it fully, and then releasing it from awareness. You may notice a greater ability to sit with uncomfortable thoughts or emotions, and skillfully replace them with more compassionate ones through intentionally engaging in this form of mindful self-compassion.

(3) Five Senses

This mini mindfulness exercise can easily be done anywhere, anytime, and likely without anyone noticing you are doing it. It is an easy way to ground yourself more fully in the present moment, revitalize your wakefulness or attention, or simply stay engaged in the task at hand. Look around you and notice five things that you can see… for instance, in this moment I can see my laptop, a cushion, my cat, a book, and some trees. Now, notice four things around you that you can hear. I notice the sounds of a fan, my fingers typing along the keyboard, my cat purring, and footsteps in the apartment above me. Now, pause to observe three things that you can feel or touch. For instance, I can feel the smoothness of the keyboard on my laptop, the softness of the cushion beneath me, and the weight of a blanket around my shoulders. Now, observe two things that you can smell. I can smell the scent of some spearmint lotion on my hands and the smell of the remainder of my lunch on the table beside me. Now, pause to see if there is one thing you can taste in the present moment. For me, can still taste a bit of kombucha that I recently sipped.

This mini mindfulness exercise is a fun, simple way to become more attuned to your sensory experiences in the present moment and perhaps become aware that there is more to observe and experience within each passing moment than you might believe there to be upon a cursory glance. This can also serve to increase your sense of gratitude for the richness inherent in each present moment.

The Importance of Practice

I am confident that you can engage in the new habit of practicing mindfulness for a few minutes each day, for the next two weeks. As with any new habit that you wish to develop, remember to make the new behavior as simple as possible to accomplish. For some people, this means setting a reminder on their phones at a specific time each day, for others this means placing a visual reminder to practice mindfulness in a location they see or interact with on a daily basis. The idea is to figure out what works best for you, and to follow through on your personal commitment to practice.

Featured image: Meditation by Tina Leggio / CC BY NC-ND-2.0

How often have you found yourself thinking, or even saying aloud, that you’re simply too busy to slow down and take care of yourself? After all, there are so many things that need to get done… and, the sooner the better! When we fall into this unmindful attitude of rushing from one task to the next, a slave to our to-do lists and external obligations, it’s easy to lose sight of our own well-being. These are the times when it’s most important to pause and take stock of your current self-care practices, and perhaps even add a few new self-care strategies to your burgeoning self-care toolkit.

Self-Care for the Mind

• Pay attention to a daily activity that you usually do on automatic pilot, like brushing your teeth. Take the time to slow down and really notice the sensations of this simple routine.
• Set a timer for one minute. Use this brief amount of time to pay attention to your breath, observing the sensations as you breathe in… and out.
• Read an uplifting or inspiring article, book, or collection of quotations.
• Set a timer for 10 minutes, and use that time to organize or clean up a messy area of your home or work space. Notice how much better you feel after decluttering.

Self-Care for the Body

• Take a walk outside while practicing mindfulness… really notice the sensations of your feet as they touch the ground, the smells you notice in the air, and the feeling of the sun on your skin.
• Engage in 30 minutes of light to moderate exercise that you enjoy… perhaps you are replenished by yoga, or maybe going for a run is more your thing. Do an activity that gets your heart pumping while reaping the many benefits of exercise.
• Set aside some quiet time to take a long, hot bubble bath, perhaps accompanied by candlelight and some relaxing music. This can serve as an excellent way for you to unwind and get ready for a relaxing night of peaceful sleep.
• Make sure your diet is balanced and filled with fresh, healthy foods that leave you feeling nourished. Practice mindfulness while enjoying your meals to increase enjoyment and savoring.

Self-Care for the Soul

• Keep a gratitude journal. Choose a time of day that you plan to write down at least three things for which you feel grateful. Research indicates a strong association between a regular gratitude journal practice and overall well-being.
• Engage in a spiritual, religious, or secular mindfulness practice that resonates with your personal set of values and belief system. Use this connection to something greater than yourself to stay centered and grounded.
• Meet with your counselor, therapist, or other mental health professional for ongoing support with maintaining your self-care regimen.
• Set aside time to engage in a mindfulness meditation practice… and keep it up!

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Featured image: Hug by Bryant Wong / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

(2015) Bush, A. D. Simple self-care for therapists: Restorative practices to weave through your workday. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Co., Inc.

How tuned in do you tend to be to your physical sensations and sense of self within your body? In a world filled with distractions, to-do lists, and external demands, it can be challenging to feel truly connected with your physical self. Sometimes a prolonged period of disconnection from somatic awareness results in chronic pain, illness, or fatigue. It’s as if your body is crying out to you, “Pay attention!” Fortunately, mindfulness provides one way to increase somatic awareness and gain a clearer sense of your physical self in the present moment.

One way to increase somatic awareness is through a mindfulness exercise called a body scan. This mindfulness exercise requires a quiet space where you can sit or lie down comfortably for anywhere between 5 – 30 minutes. If you have the time, spending up to 30 minutes engaged in mindful exploration of your current physical state can be an excellent mindfulness practice. However, even if you only have a few minutes to sit or lie down in a comfortable position and check in with your physical sensations, you will still reap the benefits of mindfulness and making contact with the present moment.

Body Scan Mindfulness Exercise

The goal of the body scan mindfulness exercise is to cultivate greater somatic awareness with an attitude that is open, curious, and nonjudgmental. As you read each set of instructions, pause to become more attuned to your body without judgment, simply increasing curious awareness of your physical sensations and the experience itself. If you like, you can make an audio recording of these instructions to aid in a more comfortable, eyes-closed mindfulness meditation.

• Find a comfortable position, seated or lying down, where your body feels at ease and supported by the ground, chair, or cushion beneath you.
• First, bring your attention to your breath. Notice the sensation of the air as you inhale through your nostrils, and again as you exhale through your mouth.
• Pause to make room for whatever you may be feeling, including tension or discomfort.
• Now, start at your feet by bringing your awareness to the physical sensations present in your feet, calves, knees, and thighs. Notice the sensations in your muscles as you allow your mindful focus to slowly move upward.
• If you notice any areas of tension or holding during this body scan, pause to mindfully attend to this tension, then deliberately allow the tension to dissipate and release.
• Next, take a deep breath in as you bring awareness to sensations present in your abdomen, torso, and lower back. Notice your spine as you gradually allow your focus to continually move upward along your body, remembering to pause at any areas of tension or holding, allowing those areas to gently relax.
• Maintain a focus on the rhythm of you breath as you slowly breathe in… and slowly breathe out… allowing any physical discomfort to be released as you slowly exhale… imagining the tension dissolve with each out breath.
• Continue to allow your focus to continue upwards, noticing your hands, arms, elbows, and shoulders. Become awareness of any tightness, discomfort, or holding in these areas. Use the gentle flow of your breath to bring your awareness to these areas, and allow them to release as you slowly and gently exhale.
• Finally, bring your attention to your neck, face, and head. Notice the sensations present in your jaw, mouth, and eyes. Allow any areas of tension to relax, noticing the tension melt away as your bring your mindful awareness to these areas.

How was it for you to engage in this body scan mindfulness exercise? Do you notice increased somatic awareness as a result of taking the time to engage in this mindfulness meditation practice? Ask yourself if taking the time to pause and mindfully check in with your physical state of being is something you can incorporate into your ever-growing mindfulness repertoire.

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Featured image: dreamer by chiaralily / CC BY-NC 2.0

How do you “show up” at work? We spend so much of our lives devoted to academic and career-related pursuits, that it’s worth asking ourselves how the work environment and culture that we’re a part of fits with our most authentic selves. One way to go about doing this is to spend some time identifying your core values, and mindfully considering how these personal values are reflected in our school or company’s culture, our job descriptions, and our basic job functions. How much of your truest self do you have to give up in order to perform at your best in the workplace?

According to the American Institute of Stress, 80% of people feel stress in the workplace. Not only that, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that a staggering 75% of all doctor’s office visits are stress-related in nature. These numbers alone are enough to serve as a wake-up call to let us know that the workplace tends to be a significant source of stress for so many of us. It’s crucial to consider strategies that we can employ in our daily lives to serve as a buffer against the negative impact of work-related stress on our lives. Mindfulness is one avenue towards dampening the effects of stress on our physical, mental, and emotional health.

According to Warr (1987), there are nine basic factors in the work environment that contribute to mental health, or quality of working life: (a) opportunity for control, (b) opportunity for skill use, (c) externally generated goals, (d) variety, (e) environmental clarity, (f) availability of money, (g) physical security, (h) opportunity for interpersonal contact, and (i) valued social position. Warr (2007) considered these factors to serve a “vitamin” or protective function, and contended that the lack of these nine factors could lead to decreases in levels of overall well-being. How well are these nine basic factors being met in your current work environment?

Learning to be more mindful in the workplace can help reduce your overall stress levels, increase your present moment awareness, and even improve the quality of the interactions you have with coworkers. Consider how present you typically feel on any given work day… does the average work day feel like a drag? Do you find yourself bored, or watching the hours go by? Or perhaps, do you find yourself so busy and flooded with activity, that you barely have time to pause to take a deep breath? Whatever your current level of mindfulness is in the workplace at present, there is always room for improvement.

Tips for Increasing Mindfulness in the Workplace

Consider these tips for increasing your own level of mindfulness in the workplace and choose one you’d like to begin practicing right away:

Make Mini-Meditations a Habit

Take between three and five minutes out of your workday to intentionally practice mindfulness. This can be as simply as setting a reminder on your phone to take ten slow deep breaths in… and out… before you go on your lunch break. This could also mean making practicing everyday mindfulness by choosing to focus on your work in a deliberately slower, more intentional, open, curious, and nonjudgmental manner.

Practice “Office Yoga”

This idea of “office yoga” may sound a bit silly at first, but all it needs to mean is to practice some gentle stretching at your desk. It might mean reminding yourself to stand up and stretch your arms over head, or side to side, every once and a while. If you have a job where you have the opportunity to be less sedentary, take advantage of your time “on the move” to stretch your body and take in some cleansing deep breaths. Think of this as mindfulness in motion.

Be Present with Others

People can generally tell when another person appears to be distracted, thinking of something else, or not paying much attention. One of the greatest gifts that we can give to another person is our full attention. Consider ways in which intentionally paying attention to what your coworkers are saying to you, how they’re saying it, and the emotion(s) behind it. You may be surprised how different your interactions with other people can become when you adopt a more mindful interpersonal stance.

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Warr, P. B. (1987). Work, unemployment and mental health. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.

Warr, P. B. (2007). Work, happiness, and unhappiness. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Featured image: working by little birth / CC BY 2.0