On the average day, how present would you say you are? Do you live in the moment, really experiencing the things right in front of you, are you spending your days focused on the past or future? Is mindfulness a part of your daily routine?
People with anxiety tend to be more likely to either dwell on the past (thinking about what we could have done differently, things we regret, things we wish we could have back, ways we were affected, etc.) or anticipating the future (catastrophizing about all the bad that could happen, wishing we could see what will happen, worrying about tomorrow, wishing our lives away, etc.).
Mindfulness aims to reframe our thinking by teaching us to focus on the now. Thinking about the past and future are both important. The past has shaped who we are, and thinking about the future can be motivating and important for shaping the way we live now. But being present in the moment is even more important.
Healing begins with us recognizing what’s inside of us- our feelings, our thoughts, our fears, our wishes, our beliefs. And to do that, to get to know ourselves at the deepest level, we have to listen. Mindfulness is the way in which we listen to ourselves. It decreases anxiety and increases relaxation. It gives us better control over our lives. Healing is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Everyone has different needs, different things that need addressed. Mindfulness is how you learn what your needs are and what you need to address within your own life.
Below, I’ve provided you with some ways to practice mindfulness. The goal with these is simple- be more present. Really experience things as they happen, let yourself tune-in to the feelings you’re having, and begin to unearth the parts of yourself that you may not have been paying attention to.
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All the tips in the post are for education purposes only and are not intended to replace medical advice from a medical professional.
1. Take a walk & take it in.
This mindfulness technique aims to make you aware of your surroundings.
Go for a walk, and instead of keeping yourself distracted with a podcast or talking to someone, try to take note of the world around you.
How does the breeze feel?
What do the trees look like?
Is there wildlife around?
Being in-tune with our surroundings is something most of us don’t do often enough.
Not only does this technique help us slow down, it also does a great job of reminding us that our individual lives are just a piece of the puzzle, which can be oddly comforting.
2. Practice mindfulness by eating with intention.
One of the most doable mindfulness techniques makes the most of something we all do daily- eating.
Next time you sit down for a meal, try to take things slow.
As you eat, think about each bite.
How does it taste?
How does it make your body feel?
At what point do you feel full?
For a lot of us, eating is done on the fly. We are busy and things are hectic and sitting down to eat a meal slowly just isn’t a normal occurrence.
But doing so can teach us about bodies, help us feel in-tune with ourselves, and also just allow us to savor things a bit better.
3. The Body Scan.
In my blog post ‘Is your physical health worsening your depression?’, I talk about how we hold mental and emotional stress and trauma in our bodies. This can be muscle tension, issues with digestion, or even getting frequent colds.
One way to figure out if your body is holding onto anything is by doing a body scan. Here’s how.
Lay down with your eyes closed for 5 minutes, and focus on how your body feels.
Pay attention to the breath entering and leaving your body.
Notice how your skin feels against the surface you’re laying on.
Are you cold or hot?
Does your body feel heavy or light?
Do you feel tension in your muscles?
Is there anything that feels uneasy or uncomfortable?
Doing regular body scans like this one can teach us to be more mindful and intuitive when it comes to our physical health.
They get us familiar with what feels normal for our bodies and help us identify when something is up, whether that’s from a physical illness or some mental stress.
4. Let the big feelings in.
One thing I’ve learned as an adult is that most of us were not taught to properly deal with our emotions as children. And because of this, we tend to avoid those big feelings at all costs.
But by allowing yourself to feel things, like really feel them, you are processing things in a much healthier way.
Feelings are like boomerangs. We can send them away over and over again but they will keep coming back until we address them.
Next time you’re feeling really overwhelmed or sad or anxious, instead of pushing those thoughts away (like so many of us naturally try to do), let them happen and sit with them.
Take note of them.
Let each one have its time and let yourself fully feel it. Then, let it go.
I like the analogy of a wave.
Our feelings will happen no matter what. The healthiest thing we can do is to let them wash over us like a wave, feel them and acknowledge them, and then let them wash away.
5. Be slower to react.
Slow reactions are a form of mindfulness.
By allowing ourselves to have time to process information and feel our feelings before we choose a response, we are being more mindful and intentional.
This can be especially beneficial for depression because it teaches our minds to slow down and be reflective rather than reactive.
So much of depression is our brains triggering the ‘fight or flight’ response to a variety of situations.
Teaching your brain to process and reflect in a slow and calm way will improve your mental health in more ways than one.
6. The 4-7-8 breathing technique.
If you’ve ever read anything about mindfulness, you’ve probably heard of this, but for good reason!
When you have a few minutes, go somewhere comfortable and try this breathing technique while focusing on how each breath makes your body feel.
Inhale through your nose for a count of 4. Hold your breath for a count of 7. And exhale through your mouth for 8. Repeat this a few times.
Doing this breathing exercise reduces your body’s stress response, slows your heart rate, and calms your mind.
If you do this before bed, it can improve sleep quality and help prevent anxiety that often comes with depression-caused sleep issues (the nighttime scaries as I call them).
It also increases awareness of our bodies and minds. Think of this as a very intentional mini-meditation.
This technique is also a super helpful coping strategy for anxiety/depression.
7. Practice mindfulness by letting your brain go wild.
A lot of the techniques on this list have involved trying to slow our brains down. But letting our brains go wild can also be a mindfulness practice!
Kind of like letting the big feelings in, this method involves you giving your brain free reign.
This can teach us a lot about ourselves.
Set a timer for 15 minutes, and just let your brain go wherever it wants.
Don’t try to redirect your thoughts, just let them be.
This is a great exercise to do often- it’s kind of like letting your kid run around and get all their energy out.
Not only will this teach you more about what’s going on in your mind, it can also often lead to you feeling a sense of freedom after.
We so often, usually without realizing, are compartmentalizing or suppressing our thoughts throughout the day.
Letting our brains get it all out there into open space can be freeing. It’s like a mental brain dump.
Doing this regularly is such a good tip for healing from anxiety/depression, and is probably my favorite mindfulness technique on this list!
8. Embrace your creative side.
I think having any hobby where you can be intentional is great for practicing mindfulness and easing anxiety, but creative hobbies get bonus points.
Being creative unlocks a part of our brain that many of us forget exists when we are stuck in a mental health struggle.
Coloring, drawing, or painting can be an effective way to practice mindfulness and work that creativity muscle.
It allows you to focus on something calming and relaxing while using a creative outlet (which is really great exercise for our brains!)
And despite what you may think, you do not have to be artistic to be creative. There are so many ways to be creative that go beyond the general idea of ‘art’.
Photography, needlework, graphic design, candle making, scrapbooking, origami, gardening, writing, and about a billion other things are all ways you can practice creativity.
If you’re looking for some cozy creative hobbies to try to give your mental health a boost, I recently wrote about that here: 8 Cozy Hobbies to Embrace the Hygge Lifestyle
Mindfulness is one of the most beneficial things you can do when healing from depression. It teaches us so much about ourselves, our minds, and our bodies.
And the more we understand ourselves, our triggers, our feelings, our intentions, and our needs, the more prepared we will be for whatever comes our way.
If you’re ready to keep going in your healing journey, I encourage you to join me in the 7-day anti-depression challenge. It’s a free email series where you get simple and actionable steps sent straight to you each day for a week. And it’s FREE!
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