Mindfulness can sometimes sound like it’s reserved for people who are in yoga class, or are able to sit in silence and meditate for long periods, which makes it seem unachievable. Mindfulness is the ability to contact and be aware of the present moment. In todays fast moving society, with constant flowing information, it has never been more important.
Most of our day is the opposite of mindful. Planning our weekend, checking social media, watching TV, thinking about the past, and worrying about the future are all activities that take us away from the present moment, and away from mindfulness.
However, mindfulness can be very simple. And, it is something that you can practice wherever you are, whatever you are doing, right in this very moment.
Using Your Senses to Practice Mindfulness
The easiest way to access present moment awareness/mindfulness is through your senses. By setting down your phone, turning off the TV and checking in with just one sense to start, touch/taste/smell/hearing/sight.
If the sense that you would like to focus on is hearing, really focus on the sounds that you can hear, as if you are a child hearing that sound for the first time. If there are multiple sounds see if you can separate them out, focusing on one at a time. Check in and see if you are able to hear anything in your current space that you weren’t previously aware of. Play pretend, and act as if you don’t know the origin of the sound, and then get curious about what might be creating it.
Creating mindfulness around taste and smell can be its own activity. Making a cup of tea or coffee, eating a sour candy, crunching into an apple, and putting all of your focus onto the taste of one specific food or drink. Lighting a candle, smelling perfume, walking outside and smelling the crisp air - these are all activities that, if we focus on them, can bring our awareness to the present moment.
Mindfulness Can Help With Stress and Anxiety
Mindfulness can be especially impactful when we are feeling anxious or stressed, two emotions that can tend to take us into the past or future and completely out of the present moment. So, the next time you notice yourself feeling stressed, I encourage you to make a cup of coffee or tea, to turn off the TV, turn off the music, put your phone in another room, and try to focus all of your attention on that cup of tea or coffee. Again pretending like it is the first time you are enjoying this type of beverage. Then compare that to the experience of scrolling social media while absentmindedly drinking coffee. Check in with yourself, with your level of stress/anxiety, and how you feel after each experience.
How a Mindfulness Therapist in Broomfield, CO Can Help you become more mindful
We offer a Mindfulness Immersion Program that can help you really do a deep dive into mindfulness by teaching you the roots, sciences, and practices of mindfulness. I encourage you to go check out our mindfulness program page for more information because we hope to help you grow in your mindfulness practice.
If you’re ready to start our mindfulness program in Broomfield, CO, please follow the steps below:
1. Schedule a 30-minute follow-up call
2. Meet with a mindfulness therapist on our team
3. Become less weighed down by stress and anxiety, and start leading a more mindful life!
OTHER counseling SERVICES OFFERED AT WELLMINDED COUNSELING
In addition to therapy for mindfulness, our team of caring therapists offer a range of services. Our therapists specialize in treating depression and helping clients improve their self-esteem. We also offer treatment for eating disorders and body image concerns. Not only do we offer individual counseling for adults, but we also have counselors on our team that specialize in couples counseling and therapy for teens. If you’re interested in our services but you’re located outside of Broomfield, don’t worry. We can meet with you virtually through online counseling from anywhere in the state of Colorado as well. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about our services and how we can help you achieve healing and peace of mind.