21/01/2021
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by hopelessness and uncertainty.
Human beings are social creatures. Being cut off from the support, and close contact of family and friends can trigger low mood, anxiety or depression.
Many people due to social isolation suffer loneliness and a " lack of meaning “.
UNHEALTHY WAYS OF COPING
What I observed is that many of us are turning to unhealthy habits. The boredom, loneliness and stress related to finances, or having to juggle a job and home school your children, can prompt unhealthy ways of coping.
Maybe you’re drinking too much, abusing drugs, or overeating junk food in an attempt to self-medicate your mood and deal with stress. While these methods may provide a temporary relief, in the long-run they’ll make your symptoms much worse.
Let’s take a look at better ways of coping...
MINDFULNESS
Do you often find yourself wandering, worrying or unable to focus?
Research shows that when we experience anxiety, we are likely caught up in replaying the past or are projecting into the future. In other words, we’re very rarely fully present in the moment.
The problem with this is that the more our mind wonders, the less happy we become.
Mindfulness is the idea of learning how to be fully present and engaged in the moment, aware of your thoughts and feelings without distraction or judgment.
When practicing mindfulness, we’re not aiming to control, suppress or stop our thoughts.
We simply aim to pay attention to our experiences as they arise without judging or labelling them in any way.
HOW DO YOU PRACTICE MINDFULNESS?
There are two forms of mindfulness practice. The first is formal practice - meditation which is commonly done sitting, usually with eyes closed, but can also be done lying down. I highly recommend trying a guided meditation by Reach Approach and Honest Guys - Both channels available on YouTube.
MEDITATION
When meditating for the first time:
choose time in the day that works for you, I usually like meditating before I go to sleep.
find somewhere without distractions
start off slow (5-10 minutes per day)
relax your body
focus on your breathing
find a comfortable position
observe, accept your thoughts and feelings, whatever they may be
some benefits of meditation can be felt as soon as after one single session, however research shows that it takes 4-8 weeks of meditating daily, before your brain is rewired and you can notice significant changes
MINDFUL MOMENTS
The informal practice of mindfulness is about doing simple daily tasks with full awareness.
You can do the dishes mindfully, bringing attention to what you are doing in the moment.
Next time you go for a walk, you can practice mindfulness by focusing on:
- your body, does it feel heavy or light, stiff or relaxed? Take 30 seconds to scan your body
- what’s going on around you, so take care to notice greenery, cars, other people, shop window displays. Notice the colours, the shapes.. take 30 seconds to take in your surroundings
- Turn your attention to sounds, what can you hear...
- Next turn your attention to smells for thirty seconds or so. Notice how the mind instinctively wants to create a story out of each of the smells, how it reminds you of somewhere, something or someone
- Finally, make a point of noticing any physical sensations or feelings. Perhaps it’s the feeling of warm sunshine, cool rain or a cold breeze, again take 30 seconds to connect with that
WHAT CAN MINDFULNESS DO FOR YOU?
There is now a huge body of research on the benefits of mindfulness.
Here are some of the proven ways in which utilising mindfulness can be valuable:
- reduces stress, anxiety, depression and other destructive emotions
- improves sleep
- increases energy, both mentally and physically
- is very effective for pain management
- sharpens your memory and increases your focus and attention
- develops your empathy and compassion. It is also shown to improve relationships
- improves efficiency at work and at home
- improves confidence and emotional resilience
- reduces compulsive and addictive tendencies
I hope you enjoyed this read.
Ania Lidia
www.anialidia.co.uk