Mindfulness in March

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness means paying close attention to things as they are right now, in the present moment. It means learning to notice more clearly our thoughts, feelings and physical sensations, and the people and world around us in a spirit of curiosity. We all have this ability, but sometimes we go through life as if on automatic pilot, reacting to events and getting carried away by them without realising it. Practising mindfulness can help bring us back to our senses, so we can learn to be more fully present in our lives.

How can mindfulness help me?

Through regular practice of mindfulness, you can learn to treat unhappiness or stress as if they were clouds in the sky, and to observe them with curiosity as they drift past. Mindfulness allows you to catch negative thought patterns before they tip you into a downward spiral. Mindfulness can help us be fully present. It helps us wake up to our experiences and our lives, it can help us break destructive habits of thinking and behaving. This doesn’t just improve our own well-being, but can have a knock-on effect for our relationships with other people.

How can you fit in mindfulness as a carer?

Try a 3 minute breathing space Breathing Space by Claire Kelly | Oxford Mindfulness when you wake up in the morning and when you go to bed at night. If you have more time add in a body scan meditation daily too Body Scan by Nicholas Hammond | Oxford Mindfulness. When doing your routine tasks like, brushing your teeth, having a shower, doing the washing, slow down and notice with all your senses, what can you see, feel, smell, hear, notice all the details. Try doing one mindful task everyday.

For more information

You can download the Oxford Mindfulness app they have some free meditations and lots of resources on mindfulness: What is Mindfulness? | Oxford Mindfulness