Within this blog, I will help you to better understand what mindfulness is and how you can apply it within your day to day lives.
Now start by focussing on the image below, sure you’re probably wondering why I’m making you look at some grass, but stay with me here, it may help you.
Ok, so after you’ve seen the image you’re probably thinking “what a waste of time“, but stay with me still and you’ll understand what this exercise was. Essentially what I am presenting is a quick way to understand mindfulness, one that you can potentially apply to any situation or environment. First things first, know that you’re not looking for anything in particular, but rather you’re simply appreciating what is in front of you. Ok let me break it down some more…
Mindfulness is not complicated, it is literally about you appreciating where you are and what is in front of you. The technique is simple enough, find something within your environment that you can focus on, preferably with numerous layers to it. So, for example the image I have shown you above has a lot going on within the environment, there are various colours, the placement of natural growth provides depth to the setting. Now this may sound all well and good but “how does this benefit me?”, well what I have just shown you is a way of grounding yourself. Within our increasingly digital lives it can be hard to switch off, we are surrounded by nonstop stimulus and that often means that we take for granted what is right in front of us.
Within that example image I am presenting a truth of mindfulness, it is not about what isn’t there, but rather what is there and what’s all around us. If you are overthinking it can be hard to get out of your own head so to speak, and oftentimes it can be impossible to divert all that thinking energy at something else. The goal with applied mindfulness is to calm yourself down by focussing on something around you within your space, such as trees and grass. Taking time to slow down and appreciate your surroundings really does help when your thoughts are racing, you are able to direct that energy at whatever it is you are focusing on. Mindfulness doesn’t always need to be focusing on nature either, it could be simply appreciating the structure of a specific building, or layout of the bricks and how it all comes together.
Next time you ever feel stressed, and your mind is racing, take a moment to yourself, find something to focus on. Really analyse what it is you’re observing, appreciate how everything all comes together. Focus on the little things and before you know it, you’ll realise you don’t feel as bad as you did. I hope this has been helpful, give it ago, it’s free and it won’t hurt to try.