Navigate Stress by Building Your Mindfulness Muscles

Navigate Challenging Times by Building Your Muscles, Your Mindfulness Muscles, that is!

It seems like every day there’s another headline to make us concerned and full of uncertainty. Probably more than any other time that I recall, it’s been pretty stressful. So, I thought I’d share some ideas about how to navigate the turmoil by building the muscles of “Mindfulness.”

Mindfulness is something we hear a lot about these days and I could think of a better time to put a “mindfulness” practice into action.

The Purpose of Being Mindful is to Quiet Down the Ego Chatter!

Mindfulness isn’t really an “action” but more like a state of being, going quietly within and even connecting with our higher power, whatever that may mean to each of us individually.

In addition to meditation, some of my favorite ways to be mindful include moving my body:

• Power walking • Strolling slowly with my dog and smelling the flowers • Yoga and stretching while focusing on my breath • Listening to soothing music • Lying down flat on the floor with my legs spread and arms out with eyes closed • Reading a good book • Dancing whistfully

Did you know that simple daily chores can give us an opportunity to practice mindfulness. When I have a moment that I just feel anxious and can’t clear my head on what to do next, that’s my cue, I need a “time-out!” One of the curious ways I clear my head is to take my car to the car wash and clean it. Going through the tunnel with all the soap and funny curtains is a unique moment of silence from the world. The cell phone doesn’t work well in there, so no distractions.

Mindfulness can be practiced during simple tasks.

Taking time to wash the car windows and wipe down the dashboard and seats provides me a quiet, soothing quality, and it gives me a renewed feeling of accomplishment and confidence. This sort of mindfulness can be used to create crafts, or can even be practiced while doing the dishes.

During these uncertain times, it’s a GREAT time to put mindfulness into practice in your daily life.

Please remember, just like learning anything, practice makes perfect. When you practice daily, you will build the “muscle memory” of Mindfulness – give you a clear edge when the stress comes knocking.

With Love, Colleen