How mindfulness can help us manage stress in our lives

17Aug

Stress has long been a central concern in modern day society. We often worry about money, family, education, work, costs of living, our futures, our children and so on.

The global pandemic has added a new dimension of anxiety and concern. People are terrified of the virus and what it might do to their loved ones if infected. Millions of lives have been lost and millions more living with horrific effects of long covid. Many people's livelihoods have been taken due to sudden restrictions imposed globally. 1 in 10 adults have experienced relationship breakdown. Huge increases in divorce have been recorded. Domestic abuse and substance abuse have also risen dramatically.

Suffice to say that we are more stressed now than ever before. Sadly, this pertains to young people also. High levels of anxiety and stress are reported by parents and teachers worldwide in their children and students, respectively. Lengthy absences from school and strict lockdowns have effectively stolen very important parts of our children’s lives. Not only being denied their usual outlets for fun, enjoyment, and learning, they too would experience what their parents and family members would go through carrying very serious worries and stresses with them.

So, what can we do to address these problems? How can we help our children and ourselves to deal with these heavy loads?

Look Inward for Solutions

Luckily, we each possess the tools needed to help alleviate stress in our everyday life. They are within us all. Mindfulness or being mindful is a simple way of focusing on the present and not thinking about the future or the past. It helps us to slow our thoughts and allow us to feel the sensations in our bodies at any one moment. No expensive equipment or training is needed for this. We can do it anywhere, even when carrying out an everyday task such as tidying a room. We are encouraged to think about what we are doing, the sound of the vacuum cleaner and how it feels in our hands. The movement of the dust as it is sucked up into the machine. The light that pours into the room as we open the curtains. How the heat of this light feels upon your skin and so on.

The same technique can be applied if you are stationary as you simply focus on the different areas of your body and how they feel. Focusing on breathing as you flow from one area \ to another.

The effect of an exercise like this is that you empty your mind of all other thoughts momentarily. The stresses and worries that you carry around consciously or subconsciously are lifted. The weight is off. Your mind becomes calm. You can see clearly. Nothing really matters at this moment. Of course, this doesn’t mean that all your worries are solved, but this practise helps in putting things into perspective. It might help you realise that some things cannot be helped by worrying. They shall be dealt with when the time comes. Or you might realise that something that stresses you is about how others will see you, or a material goal. Problems which are seen from a new perspective are less insurmountable.

Outdoor exercise is a wonderful method of practising mindfulness. Not only does it distract the mind from everyday stresses, it also produces endorphins which make us feel happy and fulfilled. In addition, it helps strengthen the body's immune system to make us healthier and less prone to illness.

Small Steps

Start small with simple mindful exercises. Allocate a few minutes to yourself during the day to practise. It will not be easy at first but like anything, the more you practice the better you will become. Soon you will find that you can use it in many different situations. It also helps to improve relationships as you will become a better listener and find yourself less irritated and more patient in your dealings with others.

Once you get the hang of it, practise it with your children. There are many simple meditations suitable for children that will provide huge benefits to them in these turbulent times.