While you’re living through the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, trying to be mindful may seem like an impossibility. After all, you may be working from home, or scrambling to deal with confusing unemployment benefits. Perhaps you have to juggle childcare because summer day camps were closed. The uncertainty of what to do with returning to school this fall may also weigh on you. You’ve got elderly or immune-compromised loved ones to worry about. Those categories may also describe yourself. Dinner dates with friends and community events are a thing of the past; the isolation is killing you.
So why should you try to add mindfulness practices to your life at this stressful time?
Small Effort, Big Dividends
For many, the idea of mindfulness practices seems vague. If you haven’t tried them before, they may sound complicated and time-consuming. You wonder how you can add yet another thing to your schedule.
But the reality is that mindfulness practices don’t have to be hard or take up a lot of time. Even a few minutes a day can make a big impact on your life.
Small Ways to Be Mindful
Basically, mindfulness is learning to pay attention to the present moment.
You can take small steps to practice mindfulness:
Sit quietly for five minutes. Close your eyes and just notice your breathing. Pay close attention to the sounds you hear and the physical sensations in your body. You will be amazed at how much calmer you feel.
Turn off distractions like electronics and television. Focus only on what you are doing. An easy place to begin is when you’re eating. Admire the physical beauty of a piece of fruit, for example. Take time to really experience its taste in your mouth. Don’t just gobble it down while reading or texting.
Sit or lie on the floor. Go through each part of your body and tense your muscle groups one at a time, as hard as you can. Then release. (This is called progressive muscle relaxation.) You’ll feel much more relaxed afterward. And moments of relaxation are vital during the chaos of the pandemic.
Stress Relief
During this unprecedented time of uncertainty and stress, mindfulness is as important as ever. One of its key benefits is that it helps you manage stress. It does this by pulling you into the present moment. This is helpful because we spend so much time living in our heads. We think about everything that we need to do and lose touch with how we are feeling.
But when we slow down enough to actually experience the present, our bodies can slow down as well. Our brains get a break from the scattered thoughts that make us feel frazzled. Our energy is renewed, helping us perform our tasks from a place of rest and peace.
Improved Health
Mindfulness practices can improve your health on several levels. It boosts your mental health by giving you stress relief tools, as described above. People who practice mindfulness have also found that it helps them find acceptance and peace no matter what is going on around them.
But mindfulness practices can also boost your immune system and pain tolerance. Countless studies show this to be true. A strong immune system is vital at any time, but its importance may seem larger in light of the pandemic.
Ripple Effect
When you take time to practice mindfulness, its benefits can ripple out to those around you. You will be calmer and in a better position to interact peacefully with your family. Encourage your children and partner to try it as well. Everyone will profit mentally and emotionally.
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If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the pandemic, reaching out for counseling can be an invaluable step. I can work with you to develop mindfulness techniques and other anxiety management tools. Please call me today to learn more about spiritual counseling.