Mindfulness
Welcome to Art for Mental Health's first blog! Today’s topic: Mindfulness. In this blog, we will address several questions: What is mindfulness? Why is it important? And how can I incorporate it into my daily life?
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is all about being in the present moment without judgment. Practicing mindfulness allows you to utilize all of your senses to take in your surroundings, feelings, sensations, and more. Mindfulness is an extremely useful tool to help with managing anxious thoughts and refocusing attention. It is also a practice by which we can better enjoy life and stay in the present. Although this practice of mindfulness sounds easy, it can actually be quite challenging!
Why is it important?
Sometimes our thoughts and emotions carry us away into a spiral of anxiety. Worrying about the future and getting stuck on the past all contribute to our suffering. Reminding ourselves, however, to focus on the sensation of our feet on the ground or the ebb and flow of our breath, we can reduce the intensity of an overwhelming tornado of thoughts and feelings. When we get caught up in an endless spiral of rumination, mindfulness can be used as a tool to help refocus our attention to the present moment. Mindfulness also has many benefits, including increased focus, clear thinking, self-awareness, stress relief, and more appreciation for the present moment. Mindfulness isn't limited to refocusing our awareness when anxious; it can also be applied to aspects of everyday life, such as eating, art, exercise, and even daily mundane tasks: mindfulness provides more fulfillment in everything we do.
Mindfulness and Art
One of my favorite ways to be mindful is through art. Sometimes when I’m painting, it's relieving to mindlessly let my emotions out on the canvas. Other times, being mindful while painting is the most beneficial for me. When I paint mindfully, I focus on the brushstrokes, the smells of the paint, the textures and surfaces of my workspace, and how I feel about what I’m creating. Mindfulness in combination with art can constitute an amazing experience that leaves you feeling rejuvenated and satisfied. When I mindfully create art, I feel extremely proud that I was present to experience the growth of my art instead of zoning out.
Mindfulness in our Daily Lives
Here’s a way to foster mindfulness in five easy steps no matter what you’re doing:
Take a deep breath. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to become aware of where you feel your breath: whether that be in your stomach, diaphragm, or throat. How does your breath feel (is it short, long, shallow, deep)?
Notice your feet on the ground. Become aware of your feet on the ground and how that feels. Let this sensation remind you of how it feels to be “grounded".
Shift focus to your body. Allow your body to relax. Take a moment to release the tension in your muscles. Places that often hold the most tension in your body include the jaw, the lower back, the temples, and the neck. It is important to invite your tension to relax instead of forcing it.
Become aware of your thoughts. Now try focusing your attention on your thoughts. Do so without judgment, imagining that your thoughts are cars, and you are simply sitting on the curb, watching them pass by.
Check-in with yourself. Ask yourself how you feel. Do you feel more relaxed or at ease? There is no correct answer to this question. This process allows you to create a space where you concentrate on your thoughts and feelings no matter what they might be.
These five steps are a quick and effective way to allow yourself to be more mindful. At the beginning of your journey with mindfulness, it might be hard to focus. If your thoughts jump from place to place, gently bring yourself back to your breath without judgment, regardless of how many times this might happen.
I’d like to leave you with a question: how will you incorporate mindfulness in your life for the next week?
Thank you for reading this article on mindfulness. We’d love to hear about your experiences with the practice and how it has affected your mental health.
Art for Mental Health