Counsellor and Well-Being
I was reading an interesting article the other day about mindfulness and how supportive it can be in helping us manage our often busy and stress-filled lives. As we get closer to the middle of the year, assessment deadlines and exams life has the potential to become much more intense. Taking a couple of moments out of each day to engage in a mindfulness activity can help to bring a sense of calmness, bring our minds back to the present moment, help us to remember the things that motivate us and support us in the decisions we make throughout the day. Check out the article below and give 5 minute mindfulness a go!!
Start with a purpose
By Parneet Pal
How often have you rushed out the door and into your day without even thinking about how you’d like things to go? Before you know it, something or someone has rubbed you the wrong way, and you’ve reacted automatically with frustration, impatience, or rage—in other words, you’ve found yourself acting in a way you never intended. Intention refers to the underlying motivation for everything we think, say, or do. From the brain’s perspective, when we act in unintended ways, there’s a disconnect between the faster, unconscious impulses of the lower brain centres and the slower, conscious, wiser abilities of the higher centres like the pre-frontal cortex.
Given that the unconscious brain is in charge of most of our decision-making and behaviours, this practice can help you align your conscious thinking with a primal emotional drive that the lower centres care about. Beyond safety, these include motivations like reward, connection, purpose, self-identity and core values. Setting an intention—keeping those primal motivations in mind—helps strengthen this connection between the lower and higher centres. Doing so can change your day, making it more likely that your words, actions and responses— especially during moments of difficulty—will be more mindful and compassionate. This practice is best done first thing in the morning, before checking phones or email.
1) On waking, sit in your bed or a chair in a relaxed posture; Close your eyes and connect with the sensations of your seated body. Make sure your spine is straight, but not rigid.
2) Take three long, deep, nourishing breaths—breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth; Then let your breath settle into its own rhythm, as you simply follow it in and out, noticing the rise and fall of your chest and belly as you breathe.
3) Ask yourself: “What is my intention for today?” Use these prompts to help answer that question, as you think about the people and activities you will face. Ask yourself:
How might I show up today to have the best impact?
What quality of mind do I want to strengthen and develop?
What do I need to take better care of myself?
During difficult moments, how might I be more compassionate to others and myself?
How might I feel more connected and fulfilled?
4) Set your intention for the day; For example, “Today, I will be kind to myself; be patient with others; give generously; stay grounded; persevere; have fun; eat well,” or anything else you feel is important.
5) Throughout the day, check in with yourself; Pause, take a breath, and revisit your intention. Notice, as you become more and more conscious of your intentions for each day, how the quality of your communications, relationships, and mood shifts.
Parneet Pal, M.B.B.S., M.S., is a consultant and coach training individuals and groups in “lifestyle as medicine,” using evidence-based approaches and innovative behaviour change models. She is chief science officer of Wisdom Labs.
(Article taken from: Mindful Magazine, April 2016, pg 2)
Happy mindfulness training! And don’t forget to check out SchoolTV on the MCC website for further information about hot topics in mental health.
