How to Incorporate Simple Techniques of Mindfulness into Your Daily Life
Mindfulness is everywhere...books, television shows, articles, conferences and more. It has hit our culture by storm. And, it is not just a hyped up buzzword, or en vogue right now. Mindfulness research has been around for awhile and seems to be returning to the mainstream once again. In 1985, Herbert Benson, MD published his book and findings on the relaxation response. It outlined the bodies ability to be trained in activating the parasympathetic nervous system. A system needed to deplete the stress response, the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, commonly known as the fight, flight, or flee response we have to stress and survival.
So, even though the research is out there, it is just now being used to address a wide variety of issues: depression, worry, anxiety, stress, and more. And, it is being used expansively across the ages, all the way to elementary school and reaching out to the aging population as the go-to tool to address those issues. The biggest changes I see in the area of mindfulness today, are the ready available tools, books, and curriculum that are now out there to support the teaching of mindfulness tools and techniques. And, proactive use of mindfulness skills before the flight, fright, or freeze response is even activated.
We can see the benefits in current research in using mindfulness for:
Test scores
Concentration
Behavior management
Anger management
Somatic responses to trauma
Leadership qualities
Friendship and social skills acquisition
And, overall happiness and wellness
Where does a person start?
When I taught mindfulness and meditation techniques at Riverview Hospital in Wisconsin Rapids many years ago, the first class in a 6-8 week series always started with the basics. I would like to share them with you here, so that you too, can get started and see the benefits of mindfulness in your life.
Why mindfulness? Aren’t other things relaxing, like reading, television, napping?
Yes, it is true that it is relaxing to sit and take in information through reading and television watching…and even taking a snooze in the mid-afternoon can be very refreshing and reset your body…However, true mindfulness practice is different. It is almost like creating motor memory for your body to adjust to cues and triggers that will be helpful in easing into relaxation. And, when faced with stress, the body will remember those cues and make adjustments in the moment, thus reducing the impact of stress and triggering events. Lastly, when you are watching television or reading, your mind is still in activation mode. The sympathetic nervous system is still up and responding to the stimuli, through the chase scene on television or the details of a scene outlined by the author.
The parasympathetic nervous system is like a calming little person in the head whispering, “it’s okay. You are okay. All is well…shhhhhh.,” It allows for the metabolizing of the chemicals adrenaline and cortisol, which can cause overall inflammation and physical issues if constantly flooding the body.
The Tools and Techniques for Everybody
The Ten Finger Focus
Take your hands and touch each finger tip on your right hand to the complimentary fingertip on your left, thumb to thumb, pointer to pointer, etc. Take in a nice deep breath in and out, and just focus on the sensation of between just the thumbs to start. Take in 5-10 breaths and just focus on that spot. You can even close your eyes if you are in a situation to do so, to deepen the overall effect. Then move your attention to the pointer connection for 5-10 breaths. And keep doing this until you have done all 5 touch points for all 10 fingers. This simple and yet powerful break is so important. Here is why: One, as you practice this, the moment your fingers touch, your body will have that motor memory response of “here we go, its relaxation time!” And a release of tension will occur. Second, the breathing is key. We do not get nearly enough oxygen throughout the day. And, finally…it can happen anywhere, we always have our hands with us. In meditation we can use objects or spots in our home. With this technique you can be at your desk, in line waiting, in your car, on a walk, or a thousand other locations, and you will always have your hands for a focal object important for mindfulness and quieting our overactive mind. Try doing this once a day over the next three weeks and see what happens for your life.
Filling the Glass
Imagine that your center body, the diaphragm to the throat is like a tall glass. When we begin breath work, we want to fill our glass with air, like we would fill an empty glass with water. Starting at the bottom of the glass (diaphragm) begin filling the glass with air, visualizing the glass as if the air were water. From the bottom to the very top at a count of 1 to 4. Hold, just a moment, then release the air from the top of the glass (throat) to the very bottom again on a count of 4 to 1. Repeat several times. Once you are done with a series of 5-10 breath cycles of filling the glass, check in with your body and see what differences in tension you detect. This is another great place to begin to start engaging your diaphragm, lungs, and chest area into a new awareness of being. We often get disconnected from our bodies and are unaware of how they function to support one another. The diaphragm, a muscle to be worked like any other, supports big belly breathes. Most people walk around only using 40%-60% of their overall lung capacity. This method teaches us about the 100% capacity that is available to us. An oxygenated body is a body in relaxation. We think clearer, we move better and feel less anxiety when oxygenated.
The Doorway Cue
This is the number one prescribed tool in my psychotherapy practice for clients just getting started on this relaxation journey. Again, we are disconnected and unaware of our automated system to breath. Our brainstem has this, right?! We don’t need to drive this breathing car. However, most people are walking around shallow breathing…All Day Long. To break this habit and get into a new, fully breathing machine, I tell clients to begin taking a deep breath up to 20 times a day. But, this is often hard to remember, so when you are first developing a new habit, use doors as your personal cue to remind you. Every time you walk through a door, office, home or car, take in a deep belly breath, fully breath. Eventually, this will become your new normal. A habit of deep breathing to live life fully oxygenated. Other cues can be...any time you hit send on a text message, or answer a phone call, take in a deep breath. There are daily activities that we do that can be used as reminder alarms to begin a new health habit.
These are starting places to make mindfulness a regular part of your day, every day.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author: Christie Gause-Bemis, MSW, LCSW, Bemis Psychotherapy and Consulting LLC is a psychotherapist in the Madison, WI area. She is available by visiting her website at www.bemispsychotherapyandconsulting.com or by emailing: christie@bemispsychotherapyandconsulting.com
***The opinions expressed here are only those of the author and do not replace seeking treatment for self. The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition or treatment.